Introduction: The role of terminology translation in China’s contemporary identities and cultures

Abstract

This introduction identifies the challenges that face translators and terminologists working between Chinese and English in the age of globalization, and it discusses factors that have facilitated effective terminology development. It also outlines the deleterious processes that result in the erasure of culturally or individually specific information within terminology and its translations. The introduction emphasizes the diverse ethnic, historical, and cultural reality of contemporary China, its territories and its neighbours, and the importance of conveying this multifaceted essence within terminology scholarship, management, and translations. Consideration is given to how, in recent decades, China has taken an interest in promoting and protecting its growing number of domestic food products with a specific geographical origin. By contrast, there have been problems such as the omission of the cultural heritage, regional provenance, and individual creativity behind Chinese dishes that were officially translated into English for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and Expo 2010. It is proposed that terminology work should ensure that non-mainstream voices and identities are heard. It is argued that terminology work should acknowledge the concrete and diverse realities of individuals and their origins and the phenomena that characterize their lives.