A triadic negotiation model for translating religious terminology in Dunhuang Art: a case of Duan Wenjie’s English translation

Technical Summary: A Triadic Negotiation Model for Translating Religious Terminology in Dunhuang Art

Problem Statement
The paper identifies a critical epistemic flaw in the 1994 English translation of Duan Wenjie's seminal scholarship on Dunhuang art. While this translation serves as the primary conduit for Western access to the Mogao Grottoes' religious depth, it relies on a paradigm of "equivalence-based domestication." This approach systematically forces complex Chinese religious-philosophical terms (syncretic blends of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism) into inadequate Western counterparts. The authors argue that this results in three specific modes of terminological failure:

1. Conceptual Catachresis: Misrepresenting philosophical doctrines by mapping them onto incompatible Western frameworks (e.g., translating Xuanxue as "Metaphysics").
2. Theological Substitution: Replacing Chinese religious motifs with Abrahamic concepts (e.g., translating Taoist Yuren as "Winged Angels"), thereby imposing a theistic cosmology onto a non-theistic landscape.
3. Institutional Misinterpretation: Distorting the social and political dimensions of religious life by imposing Western ecclesiastical models (e.g., translating Huansu as "excommunicated" rather than a voluntary return to lay life).

These errors, driven by a prioritization of "fluency" and "readability" over doctrinal accuracy, produce a "domesticated" Dunhuang that obscures the site's authentic spiritual and intellectual integrity.

Methodology
The study employs a qualitative critical analysis grounded in translation theory, specifically utilizing:

• Venuti's Concept of Translational Violence: To critique the domestication strategy that erases the "foreignness" of the source text.
• Appiah's "Thick Translation": To propose an ethical alternative that uses annotations and glosses to locate terms within their rich cultural and linguistic contexts.
• The Translator as Cultural Negotiator: A theoretical redefinition of the translator's role from a seeker of perfect equivalence to an active mediator who acknowledges untranslatability.

The methodology involves a detailed typological analysis of specific terminological errors found in the 1994 translation of Duan Wenjie's work. The authors categorize these errors and then construct a corrective framework, proposing specific translation strategies for different types of religious terminology.

Key Contributions
The paper proposes a Triadic Negotiation Model designed to translate religious terminology in Dunhuang Art with fidelity to its syncretic nature. This model moves beyond simple lexical transfer to a strategy of "negotiating" meaning. The model consists of three specific strategies tailored to different categories of terms:

1. Transliteration with Explanation (for Doctrinal Concepts):

   • Target: Core philosophical terms like Ren (Benevolence), Xuanxue (Mysterious Learning), and Kong/Sunyata (Emptiness).
   • Strategy: Use Pinyin transliteration to preserve cultural identity, accompanied by concise explanations that differentiate between Buddhist and Confucian nuances. This prevents the collapse of distinct intellectual traditions into monolithic Western categories.

2. Analogical Creation with Thick Annotation (for Cultural Symbols):

   • Target: Iconographic and mythological symbols like Yuren (Feathered Immortals), Yilong (Winged Dragons), and Sifang Zhi Shen (Four Directional Deities).
   • Strategy: Create descriptive analogies (e.g., "Feathered Immortals" instead of "Angels") supported by "thick" annotations. These notes provide doctrinal roots, symbolic significance, and visual cross-references to specific murals (e.g., Mogao Grotto 249), bridging the gap between visual and textual understanding.

3. Precision Paraphrasing (for Institutional Terms):

   • Target: Social and ritual roles like Huansu (returning to lay life), Menshi (state-sponsored mentor), and Daogong (Taoist cleric).
   • Strategy: Abandon the search for direct lexical equivalents (which often imply Western church hierarchies) in favor of clear, context-specific descriptions that accurately reflect the function and socio-political reality of the term within Chinese religious history.

Results
The analysis demonstrates that the 1994 translation's adherence to domestication creates a "filtered" version of Dunhuang that misleads Western scholarship. By applying the proposed Triadic Negotiation Model, the paper illustrates how specific errors can be rectified:

• Xuanxue is restored as a specific Wei-Jin philosophical movement rather than a generic "Metaphysics."
• Yuren is recognized as Taoist transcendent beings rather than Christian "Angels," preserving the syncretic dialogue between Taoism and Buddhism in the murals.
• Huansu is understood as a legitimate, non-punitive practice rather than a disciplinary "excommunication."

The results indicate that a "foreignizing" approach, which retains the "foreignness" of the source text through transliteration and annotation, is necessary to prevent epistemic violence and ensure accurate cross-cultural understanding.

Significance
The paper claims its significance lies in three areas:

1. Theoretical: It offers a dedicated theoretical framework for translating religious-philosophical terminology in syncretic contexts, extending the debate on cultural standardization into the underexplored domain of religious untranslatability.
2. Practical: It operationalizes the concept of the "translator as cultural negotiator" into a concrete toolkit (the triadic model) that can be applied to future translations of Dunhuang and similar cultural heritage texts.
3. Ethical: It argues that prioritizing "fidelity to religious meaning" over "readability" is an ethical imperative. By refusing to reduce Dunhuang's complex spiritual heritage to familiar Western labels, the proposed approach fosters a more authentic, equitable, and respectful cross-cultural dialogue. The paper concludes that translating Dunhuang is not about making the text easy, but about making it "right," thereby honoring the integrity of the grottoes and the scholarship of Duan Wenjie.