Corpus-Based Study on The Translation of Farming Tools in The Book of Songs

Abstract

As the earliest collection of poems in China, The Book of Songs contains rich agricultural cultural information, among which the records of farming tools are of great significance for studying the agricultural development in the Zhou Dynasty. With the overseas dissemination of The Book of Songs, the translation of the names of its farming tools has become an important subject in cross-cultural research. Based on the established corpus of The Book of Songs, this paper conducts a specific analysis of the translations of farming tools in multiple vernacular Chinese versions and English versions. The study finds that existing translations have problems such as confusion in the evolution of tool ages, neglect of differences in utensil shapes, and lack of culturally specific connotations. To address these issues, this paper proposes that vernacular Chinese translations can adopt the method of “original character + annotation” or free translation that takes both function and shape into account; English translations can combine transliteration with functional description or use words that reflect their characteristics. These approaches aim to more accurately convey the cultural connotations of farming tools in The Book of Songs, providing a reference for the translation research and international dissemination of farming tools in The Book of Songs. The research provides empirical evidence for the accurate translation of farming tool names in The Book of Songs, promotes the cross-cultural communication of pre-Qin agricultural culture, and establishes a methodological reference for the translation practice of ancient Chinese scientific and technological terms.