International Journal of Horticulture, 2026, Vol.16, No.1, 1-14 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 12 translators may use intra-textual or inter-textual annotations to situate them within TCM’s holistic worldview. Meanwhile, adjusting health-oriented phrasing to meet regulatory and cognitive expectations of the target culture helps lower comprehension barriers. This translational practice requires translators to act simultaneously as cultural interpreters and cross-cultural strategists-preserving cultural authenticity while creating viable entry points for shenrong culture in global settings. 7.2 How translation ethics helps address cultural differences and value conflicts Given the reality that shenrong culture spans multiple boundaries-cultural, medical, commercial, and ethical-translation ethics offers a structured analytical framework for managing cultural differences and value conflicts. Ethics of cultural representation reminds translators to maintain the integrity of traditional knowledge and semantic ecology, guarding against the excessive dilution, symbolization, or decontextualization of TCM-related knowledge under global trade and health-consumption logics. Cross-cultural adaptation ethics guides translators to adopt compliant, culturally sensitive strategies when confronting diverse regulatory environments concerning medical claims, animal-derived ingredients, and resource sustainability, thereby avoiding mistranslation, exaggerated claims, or expressions that conflict with target-cultural ethical norms. Most importantly, value-negotiation ethics emphasizes that translators function not merely as linguistic transmitters but as mediators among competing discourses. Shenrong-related translation frequently intersects with issues such as animal welfare, ecological sustainability, traditional knowledge rights, and global biodiversity governance. Under such conditions, the translator’s work involves not only delivering information but also ensuring-through transparent, accurate, and responsibility-aware choices-that different knowledge systems and value claims are represented fairly within the text. Translation ethics, therefore, is not merely a set of professional norms but a foundational mechanism for building cross-cultural trust, reducing misunderstanding, and preventing the inappropriate use of traditional medical knowledge. 7.3 Constructing an ethical translation system for the international dissemination of TCMculture Based on the above analysis, constructing an ethical translation system for TCM culture-including shenrong traditions-is both an academic necessity and a practical requirement for the sustainable development of TCM-related trade under initiatives such as “TCM Going Global” and the Belt and Road framework. Such a system should include at least three interconnected dimensions: Translation practice and education: Developing culturally sensitive translation guidelines that define translatability boundaries, explanatory paths, and contextual requirements for core concepts such as qi, Yin-Yang, and essence-blood, thus avoiding arbitrary and inconsistent handling in practice.Interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration: Situating translation within intersecting domains of medicine, ecology, trade regulation, and cultural studies-particularly ensuring that translation does not obscure unsustainable practices when wildlife-derived resources are involved. Ethical review and compliance assessment: Establishing mechanisms aligned with industry standards to conduct “content-ethics-regulation” evaluations for shenrong texts intended for global markets, thereby reducing long-term risks at the source. Building such an ethical translation system would enable shenrong culture to achieve more precise, stable, and ethically sound pathways of global dissemination. On one hand, it would enhance the epistemic status of TCM culture and reduce the likelihood of marginalization or misinterpretation in global health discourse. On the other hand, under principles of sustainable use and strict regulation, it would promote synergy between traditional medicine and global biodiversity conservation-laying the foundation for the responsible international communication of China’s rich medical and ecological heritage. Authors’ contributions An Yuanyuan was the principal investigator of this study, responsible for the literature review and data analysis, as well as the writing and revision of the initial manuscript. The author has read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgements This research was jointly supported by the Jilin Provincial Higher Education Teaching Project (Research on Digital Teaching Innovation Paths and Practices of Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture in Translation Teaching in Applied Undergraduate
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==