A Study on Translation Variation Strategies of Culture-loaded Expressions in 2022 Government Work Report

Culture-loaded expressions in the 2022 Chinese Government Work Report refer to words or phrases that represent concepts and objects specific to Chinese culture, embodying rich national and regional characteristics. Their translation is crucial for literary translation and cultural communication. This thesis examines 2022 Chinese Government Work Report and its English translation to explore translation strategies for culture-loaded expressions. Following a thorough review and analysis, the following three key findings emerged: First, the 2022 Chinese Government Work Report contains 44 culture-loaded expressions, categorized into four groups: ecological words (1), social words (15), material words (4), and linguistic words (24). Second, the thesis identifies four primary translation strategies employed for culture-loaded expressions: rewording translation, omission, explanatory translation, and translation and writing. Third, the translation variation strategies mainly serve three functions: meeting readers’ specific needs, adapting the translation to the target audience’s cultural context; reflecting the translator’s creativity, demonstrating the translator’s ability to convey cultural nuances effectively; and highlighting the values of the original text, preserving the cultural significance and values embedded in the original language.