THE APPLICABILITY OF THE CONCEPT OF “REALIA” IN CHINA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CULTURE TURN IN TRANSLATION STUDIES

Abstract

Translation Studies, as a modern discipline, have become increasingly important in the fields of Humanities, Arts, and Social sciences in China. Following the First Opium War, many Western works –in both science and technology as well as literature – were translated into Chinese. When translating foreign works, there were significant vocabulary gaps in Chinese, largely due to the relatively underdeveloped state of Chinese society and limited communication with Western cultures. To address these gaps, many new words were introduced into the Chinese language through translation, which have since become an essential part of modern Chinese. Some of these newly created words carry specific cultural colors and serve as important focal points for research in cultural translation.In Chinese Translation Studies, the research on culture-specific words is significantly influenced by relevant Western theories, including terminology usage, research methodologies, and research approaches. At present, the world’s Translation Studies is still mainly in the “cultural turn”, the academia of Translation Studies in China has also transitioned its approach to studying these culture-specific words in translation from a linguistic approach to a cultural turn, leading to increased attention on the external factors affecting the language in translation.Literary works often embody significant elements of national culture, and the translation of literary works plays a crucial role in transmitting that culture. National culture reflects the essence of national characters. In the context of the global resurgence of national consciousness influenced by globalization, there has been increasing attention on research on translating culture-specific words in literary works. In this context, the concept of “realia”, which emphasizes the inherent “subjectivity” of culture, becomes particularly relevant. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate the concept of “realia” into Chinese Translation Studies. Doing so will provide a theoretical foundation that aligns with contemporary developments in Translation Studies, benefiting the translation research of both foreign literary works into Chinese and Chinese classical literature into foreign languages.