English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies ISSN 2640-9836 (Print) ISSN 2640-9844 (Online) Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls 113 Original Paper The English Translation Methods of Chinese Characteristic Vocabulary in the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China Xuerong Wang 1 1 School of Liberal Arts, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China Received: June 02, 2023 Accepted: July 19, 2023 Online Published: July 31, 2023 doi:10.22158/eltls.v5n3p113 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/eltls.v5n3p113 Abstract Since China’s commitment to reform, opening up, and modern socialist construction, it has made remarkable achievements in various aspects such as politics, economy, and culture that have impressed the world. Western countries are also more willing to listen to and understand China’s development achievements, and recognize and support China’s international standing. Chinese leaders’ dialogues or foreign policy documents related to political activities are the main source of information about China’s development for foreign countries. Among them, the report of the 20th CPC National Congress is the summary report of the CPC every five years, covering a wide range of political, economic, social and cultural fields, and has an extremely important political status. Therefore, the English translation method of words with Chinese characteristics in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a very important issue, as these words play an important role in international communication and cooperation. When translating these words, we need to consider their special cultural background, historical origins, and semantic connotations to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the translation. Keywords the Report of the 20th CPC National Congress, Chinese characteristic vocabulary, English translation methods www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 114 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 1. Introduction 1.1 Research Background Since the reform and opening up, China’s economy has continued to grow and achieved significant achievements in many aspects. With the gradual deepening of globalization, the connections between countries around the world are becoming increasingly close, and China has attracted foreign attention. In this situation, China’s voice can be heard and China plays a crucial role in international communication. Therefore, Chinese discourse should have the ability to transfer to the international discourse system. In addition, in international communication, we need to use our own Chinese style expressions to enhance our discourse power. The importance of cultural confidence is self-evident. Based on the situation at home and abroad, translation practice should pay more attention to Chinese English translation than before. Political texts present the attitude and political stance of the Chinese government, and are an authoritative way for foreign readers to understand China. Therefore, the translation of political texts should highlight the cultural value of Chinese characteristics and enhance cultural confidence. 1.2 Research Purpose and Significance With the increasing development of cross-cultural communication, it is crucial for us to introduce Chinese culture to the outside world. However, there is a phenomenon of “cultural gap”, which refers to the absence or only partial equivalence of words or phrases in translation. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and correctly express the connotation of Chinese characteristic vocabulary, it is worth studying how to properly translate these words. Since ancient times, a large number of expressions with Chinese characteristics have emerged in the Chinese context. Therefore, the accurate transformation of the expression with Chinese characteristics is conducive to the propaganda of Socialism with Chinese characteristics politics. The Report of the 20th National Congress is a window for foreign countries to understand China’s development. This article uses this report as research material and provides a comprehensive summary of expressions with Chinese characteristics, which can be used as a terminology catalog for reference and research. This article will systematically analyze the translation strategies of Chinese characteristic vocabulary in the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, providing inspiration for the translation research of Chinese characteristic vocabulary, and hoping to provide some inspiration for the future translation of Chinese characteristic vocabulary and political texts. 1.3 Research Tasks In order to fully understand the translation strategies and techniques of Chinese characteristic vocabulary in the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this study proposes the following research questions: (1) What techniques were used to translate the Chinese characteristic vocabulary in the report of the 20th National Congress? (2) What are the factors that affect the selection of translation techniques for Chinese characteristic www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 115 Published by SCHOLINK INC. vocabulary? 2. Method 2.1 Chinese Characteristic Vocabulary and Its Characteristics 2.1.1 Definition Vocabulary with Chinese characteristics is an important part of Languages of China and culture. It is an expression and content of current affairs, politics, and diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and also expresses the unique elements of Chinese culture that have contained Chinese cultural connotations for thousands of years. To spread Chinese characteristic vocabulary to the world without losing its unique connotation, it is necessary to use unique translation methods to process and better understand it to the world. 2.1.2 Three Characteristics History of China, and its vocabulary has its unique characteristics. After analysis and summary, it is found that Chinese vocabulary has unique characteristics, sense of the times, extensive content and other characteristics. The following is a combination of examples to discuss its characteristics. 2.1.2.1 Unique Characteristics Chinese characteristic vocabulary reflects the unique political, economic, cultural, and life phenomena of China, as well as some local things, ideas, and concepts such as the imperial examination system, the enfeoffment system. Secondly, it can also reflect China’s unique regional and ethnic characteristics. For example, vocabulary such as “南腔北调 (A tongue which combines accents of the various spoken dialects in China)”, “山高水长 (River Deep Mountain High)”, and “江南水乡 ( the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River)” reflect the differences in dialects, regions, and regional cultural characteristics between the north and south of China, as well as traditional Chinese natural and cultural landscapes. In addition, Chinese characteristic vocabulary also reflects China’s ideological concepts. For example, vocabulary such as “道路千万条，安全第一条 (On countless roads ahead, safety comes first)”, “千里之堤，溃于蚁穴 (an ant may well destroy a whole dam )”, 仁者见仁，智者见智 (Opinion vary from individual to individual)” all reflect traditional Chinese moral and ethical values and social responsibility. 2.1.2.2 Sense of the Times Chinese characteristic vocabulary has distinct characteristics of the times. First of all, Languages of China has its unique significance in all ages. In the pre Qin period, the children of feudal lords were called “公子”. Later on, it gradually became a synonym for scholars or young people. Secondly, the expression of the same concept varies in different eras. For example, the word “公主” in the Han and Tang dynasties and the “格格” in the Qing dynasty both refer to the daughter of an emperor. Chinese characteristic vocabulary also has profound historical origins. The words “Jia Fu”, “Rong Fu” and “Qinhuai River” in the Dream of Red Mansions can all be traced back to the feudal society of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with a strong social and historical background. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 116 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 2.1.2.3 Extensive Content From the perspective of classification, the unique vocabulary in China has a wide range and can be divided into three types: political, economic, and social life. From a political perspective, such as the “Scientific Outlook on Development”, “One Country, Two Systems”, and “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”; Economically speaking, from “agricultural to non agricultural” to “moderately prosperous”; In terms of culture, “Bing Dwen Dwen”, “Shuey Rhon Rhon”, etc.; In social life, the vocabularies “seek gratuitous financial help” and “cash cow” are very common. In recent years, the widespread use and dissemination of the Internet have led to the emergence of some internet words that reflect changes in the times and social hotspots, such as “Buddha-like”, “lying flat”, “involution”, etc. In short, vocabulary with Chinese characteristics represents the unique charm of Languages of China and culture, with rich connotation and spiritual core. In the era of globalization, strengthening and protecting the uniqueness of these words is also conducive to promoting the inheritance and development of Languages of China and culture. 2.2 Classification and Characteristics of Chinese Characteristic Vocabulary in the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China In the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, many vocabulary with Chinese and contemporary characteristics can be seen in both Chinese and English. Chinese characteristic vocabulary has distinct characteristics of the times, manifested in two aspects. Firstly, Chinese unique vocabulary is unique to China and is not possessed by other ethnic groups. The second is the concise and rich connotation of Chinese unique words. The difference between word meaning and connotation. Chinese vocabulary is mainly divided into four categories: Chinese characteristic vocabulary, numerical abbreviations, consecutive four character structures, and culture-loaded words. 2.2.1 Chinese Political Characteristics The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China summarizes the achievements of the past five years, combining national policies and policies with national conditions. Therefore, when new things and policies are introduced, new political terms will also appear in the report accordingly. These political terms are unique to China, such as “The Four Matters of Confidence ”and “Three Distinctions” 2.2.2 Abbreviations of Numbers Some numerical abbreviations appeared in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. These acronyms of numbers summarize rich content or multiple meanings in a few words. These words are concise and vivid, with unique word formation and vivid imagery, but the more concise and rich they are, the richer their connotations are. For example, “the Belt and Road Initiative”, “Two Upholds”, “four consciences”, “the three critical battles”, and so on. 2.2.3 Four Character Structure The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is a formal political paper with standardized, rigorous expression, and strong logic. The four character bead structure in the report www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 117 Published by SCHOLINK INC. is widely used, making the article full of appeal and appeal. These structures are meaningful, coherent, and powerful. These words are concise, symmetrical, and profound. (1) ST: 脱贫攻坚 TT: poverty alleviation The internal meaning of this word overlaps, and both “脱贫” and “攻坚” are intended to express “overcoming the problem of poverty”. According to the principle of coherence, the translation must have coherence within the language, readability, and acceptability. Therefore, when translating this phrase, the translator used the methods of omission and literal translation, translating “脱贫攻坚” as “poverty alleviation”, accurately conveying the original information, so that the target language readers can understand its meaning at a glance. (2) ST: 不忘初心, 牢记使命 TT: stay true to the Party’s founding mission. In the four character words of the verb object structure of “不忘初心，牢记使命”, “不忘” and “牢记” are verbs, while “初心” and “使命” are objects. If translated as “never forget the true heart, and remember the mission” according to the source text, it will make it difficult for foreign readers to understand the inherent meaning of “mission” and fail to achieve the expected translation purpose. Therefore, the translator, taking into account the context, specifically points out the word “ Party” in the translation and uses the free translation method to translate it as “stay true to the Party’s founding mission”, which means “keeping in mind the mission of the founding of the Communist Party”, so that the translation can be understood and accepted by foreign readers while maintaining the unique political color of the source text. (3) ST: 蹄疾步稳 TT: at a swift and steady space This phrase first appeared in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and continued to be used in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, translated as “at a swift and steady pace”, indicating the meaning of “fast and stable”. (4) ST: 团结奋斗 TT: strong/driving in unity The four character word appears seven times, including the overall title and final conclusion of the report, echoing each other and highlighting the importance of “unity and struggle” for career success, so it is translated as “strive/striving in unity”. There are many other four character phrases, such as “守正创新 uphold fundamental principles and break new ground”, “知难而进 meet obstacles and difficulties head on”, “准备付出更为艰巨, 更为艰 苦的努力 be prepared to work even harder to get there, “增强忧患意识，坚持底线思维，做到居安思 危, 未雨绸缪 We must therefore be more mindful of potential dangers, be prepared to deal with worst-case scenarios”. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 118 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 2.2.4 Culture-Loaded Words Culture-loaded words are a type of vocabulary with Chinese characteristics, and their meaning requires a certain cultural accumulation to be understood. Culture-loaded words are mainly based on the unique regional characteristics of China, such as idioms, colloquialism, politics, metaphors, classical culture, etc. This is very common in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In the translation process, it is necessary to target different contexts and make choices based on them. For example, “大水漫灌” is translated as“ stimulus policies”, using the method of image replacement to directly point out the essence of policies; The translation of “普惠性减税” is “general-benefit tax cuts”, using a literal translation method, with corresponding words and easy to understand; The translation of “放水养鱼” is “an adaptive effect to strengthen the basis for sustained growth”, which supplements policy objectives and specific implementation plans through specific language expressions, making it better accepted by foreign readers. 2.3 Translation Methods of Chinese Characteristic Vocabulary In the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, there are various translations of Chinese characteristic vocabulary, including literal translation, free translation, additional translation, subtractive translation, and explanatory translation. This article provides a specific analysis of various translation methods for Chinese unique vocabulary based on specific examples. 2.3.1 Literal Translation Literal translation is a type of translation that not only remains faithful to the original content, but also preserves the format and style of the original work, while paying attention to the fluency of the translation. Literal translation can better preserve the linguistic and ethnic cultural characteristics of the original text. This English translation method is commonly used in the translation of numerical abbreviations, four character structures, and cultural loaded words. (1) ST:一国两制 TT: One Country, Two Systems; (2) ST:乡村振兴战略 TT: the rural revitalization strategy; (3) ST: 新的商业模式如电子商务、网上购物、网上服务等，在抗击疫情中扮演着举足轻重的角 色，要持续推出各种扶持措施，推动“互联网+”的发展，为数字经济创造新的优势. TT: New business models, such as e-commerce, online shopping and online services, play an important role in combating the epidemic. We should continue to introduce various support measures to promote the development of “Internet plus” and create new advantages for the digital economy. From the above example, it can be seen that an independent word can often find some words with similar meanings in English, so it can be directly translated. For example, the verb for “revitalization” is “revitalize”, and in the Oxford Dictionary, “make sth strong” or “more active or more healthy” can be understood as “revival” or “revitalization”. On the one hand, it preserves the style of the source text, www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 119 Published by SCHOLINK INC. while achieving concise translation forms and accurate content transmission. On the other hand, it can also bring a sense of mystery to the translation, causing readers to have ideas about the source language culture, in order to improve cross-cultural communication and promote the dissemination of Chinese culture. These vocabularies with Chinese characteristics give people a concise, comprehensive, and not obscure feeling. Both Chinese and English audiences can easily and clearly obtain the information content of the original text. Therefore, literal translation is sufficient. 2.3.2 Subtraction Translation The method refers to the removal of repetitive sentences that do not conform to the expression habits of the target language when translating the source language, with the focus on expressing the core content. Translation reduction does not follow the format of the original text, but focuses on the transfer of meaning, making it easier for target language readers to understand the meaning of the source text. This translation method is mainly seen in the translation of Chinese characteristic vocabulary. (4) ST: 注重解民忧, 纾民困。 TT: with a focus on resolving the difficulties of our people. (5) ST: 切实为基层松绑减负. TT: truly lighten the burden on all those working on the ground. It can be seen that Example 4 “解民忧” and “纾民困” have distinct traditional cultural characteristics, but they are very similar in semantics. According to the context, “松绑” and “减负” both refer to reducing the burden on the basis in Example 5. Therefore, in both cases, a reduction translation method was adopted, which only translated the meaning of a certain word. Subtraction can avoid the verbosity and rigidity that may arise during the literal translation process. In contrast, translation is easier to understand. 2.3.3 Additional Translation The so-called additional translation is to add necessary words, phrases, or sentences to the translation, making the sentence structure of the translation more complete and adaptable to the reader’s ideological and cultural background. Some government reports with Chinese characteristics often adopt the form of “no subject sentence” in their expression. However, except for some situations in English where there is no subject, other ordinary sentences have a subject. Therefore, in the translation process, translators cannot ignore the grammatical features of English, but should combine the context and add appropriate themes to achieve better expression effects. This English translation method is mainly used in the translation of English abbreviations. (6) ST：制定“十四五”规划 TT: formulate the 14 th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (7) ST：“打虎”, “拍蝇”, “猎狐”多管齐下 TT: to “take out tigers,” “swat flies” and “hunt down foxes”, punishing corrupt officials of all types. In Example 6, “十四五规划” is a concise special term, which is a special expression in Chinese government documents. In the process of translating these words, it is often necessary to use the www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 120 Published by SCHOLINK INC. method of addition to express the implied meaning. The full name of “the 14 th Five Year Plan” is “the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the China”. If it is directly translated as “the 14th Five Year Plan” It may make it difficult for foreign readers to understand and deviate from the fundamental purpose and principle of loyalty in the target research. Therefore, the appropriate addition of “for Economic and Social Development” in the translation of key vocabulary in our country can avoid unclear expression of the content, thus helping readers to grasp more comprehensive information and achieve the purpose of transmitting information. In the context of anti-corruption in China, “tiger”, “fly”, and ”fox” respectively refer to corrupt officials at different levels. In addition to the literal translation, the translation of the 20th National Congress report also includes an appositive as a supplement, providing additional explanations to help the audience better understand its meaning. 2.3.4 Interpretation Interpretation, is the translation of a word that does not correspond and is difficult to understand in the target language, in order to help readers of the target language understand the original text. In the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, this translation method is mainly seen in the translation of abbreviations and cultural loaded words. (8) ST：以钉钉子精神纠治“四风” TT: We hammered away at the task of rectifying pointless formalities, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance. (9) ST：坚定“四个自信” TT: stay confident in the path，theory，system，and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics In Example 8, “四风” is a policy term with distinctive characteristics, which is suitable for China’s reality and has distinctive characteristics, namely, “formalism, bureaucractism, hedonism, and extravagance”. If the word is only translated directly, it will make readers feel confused and need to be explained in the translation to further improve the impact of external publicity. In Example 9, “四个自 信”is a political term with Chinese characteristics and easy to describe. In the process of translation, we should clarify the meaning of “四个自信” and its four basic elements. The exact meanings of these characteristic words can be clearly conveyed in the translation or translation, so that the target language readers can understand them at a glance. 3. Result The article analyzes the definition of Chinese characteristic vocabulary in the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, dividing it into Chinese characteristic vocabulary, numerical abbreviations, and the four character structure of connected beads. Based on this, a detailed analysis is conducted on Chinese characteristic vocabulary. The final conclusion is that the English translation methods for Chinese characteristic words include literal translation, transliteration, addition translation, reduction translation, and interpretation translation, which are combined with Chinese characteristic words, abbreviations, the four character structure of linking beads, and cultural loaded www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls English Language Teaching and Linguistics Studies Vol. 5, No. 3, 2023 121 Published by SCHOLINK INC. words to facilitate the understanding of translation readers. This article aims to arouse people’s attention to the English translation of Chinese characteristic words and phrases. This current affairs dictionary with Chinese characteristics serves as a window for China’s external publicity, and the accuracy of translation directly affects the image of China’s external publicity. This article only analyzes the translation methods of the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, while summarizing the English translation methods of Chinese characteristic words from a quantitative perspective. Although this article only analyzed the English version of the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the amount of data is not large enough, and there are certain limitations and shortcomings in the selection of Chinese characteristic vocabulary and analysis of its translation methods, it is still hoped that this study and its conclusions can provide some reference and reference for future related research. Funding This work was supported by 2023 Jiangsu Province Graduate Research and Practice Innovation Project (SJCX23_0360). References Christiane, N. (1997). Skopos’ Loyalty and Translational Conventions. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 1997. Christiane, N. (2001). 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