Abstract:

The 24 Solar Terms, as an outstanding traditional Chinese culture and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, hold crucial significance in their English translation for promoting international dissemination of this calendrical knowledge. Nonetheless, there has not been a universally accepted and adopted English translation version. Transknowletology clears that the essence of translation lies in the transfer of knowledge and views translation as a process of global recognition of local knowledge, which not only creates a new path for translation studies, but also provides methodological guidance for translation practices. This study, grounded in Transknowlogy and guided by its translation principles of “truth, virtue, and beauty”, examines the similarities and differences, merits and demerits of five representative English translations of the 24 Solar Terms. Through comparative analysis, it proposes optimized translation recommendations conducive to knowledge transfer, aiming to enhance global recognition of this temporal knowledge system and facilitate the international dissemination of traditional Chinese culture.

Key words: English translation of the 24 Solar Terms, Transknowletology, “truth, virtue, and beauty”