Research on principles and methods for translation of tibetan medical terminology from tibetan to english: A historical perspective

This study aims to address the significant inconsistency and conceptual distortion in the current English translation of Tibetan medical terminology—a critical barrier to the accurate international dissemination of this traditional medical system.Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using Python’s pandas library. Following systematic terminology extraction from the authoritative Tibetan edition of The Four Medical Treatises , 45 high-frequency core terms were selected for in-depth analysis. Translation variants across eight representative English translations, covering domestic and international scholarship from the 19th century to the present, were systematically compared. The results reveal fundamental divergences at three levels: path divergence between phonetic rendering and naturalized equivalence, conceptual flattening characterized by the loss of hierarchical and pathological logic, and category displacement wherein diagnostic concepts are reduced to mere symptoms. In response, this study proposes a paradigm shift from seeking equivalence to preserving distinctiveness and establishes a tiered translation framework comprising four core principles—conceptual equivalence, terminological systematicity, cultural distinctiveness, and concise expression—and six specific methods: transliteration, combined translation, dual translation, free translation, literal translation, and multiple translations. This framework not only provides a systematic solution to terminological inconsistency and conceptual distortion but also offers a theoretical foundation and practical pathway for Chinese scholars to participate in the international standardization of Tibetan medical terminology, thereby facilitating a transition from exporting Tibetan medical knowledge to exporting translation norms.