Translation adaptation of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) terminology for speakers of other cultures: features of cultural connotation

Background: In the translation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is crucial to preserve the authenticity of its philosophical, historical, and linguistic characteristics. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of translation strategies for adapting TCM terminology to foreign cultural contexts, based on the classical text The Emperor”s Canon of Eighty-One Difficult Issues. Methods: A comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of foreignization and domestication strategies in translating TCM terminology into Russian, using an experimental study involving 84 respondents (42 in each group). The Student’s t-test was employed to assess medical accuracy, equivalence, pragmatic value, terminological precision, and cultural specificity. Results: The results revealed a statistically significant advantage of the domestication strategy across most metrics, particularly in equivalence (p = 0.001) and pragmatic value (p = 0.008), where domestication achieved higher mean scores (4.12 and 4.03) compared to foreignization (3.48 and 3.55). Thus, it was established that domestication facilitates better adaptation of complex Chinese medical concepts for target audiences while maintaining sufficient medical accuracy. This is supported by higher scores in overcoming cultural barriers (48.8% versus 22.0%) and ensuring terminological precision (3.88 versus 3.41), making it a more effective strategy for translating medical terminology from Chinese into Russian. Conclusions: The practical significance of this study lies in determining the effectiveness of translation approaches for TCM terminology into Russian through experimental research. These findings can be applied in the work of medical translators, the development of educational materials on Chinese medicine, and the creation of methodological guidelines for medical text translation. Consequently, the results hold the potential to improve the quality of educational materials on TCM and enhance intercultural medical communication. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.