关键词: 太极拳, 术语英译, 规范性, 术语性

Abstract: The key martial art term 太极拳 is currently translated into a number of different English versions, many of which are flawed either for inaccuracy in meaning or potential to mislead English audiences. A survey of book titles in the collections of the Congress Library and the British Library shows that none of the explanatory versions are used in the titles, and the use of other English translations in the titles vary greatly; similar findings are made in the survey of titles of journal articles and degree theses in the databases of Web of Science and ProQuest. The international reception of the English translations is far from satisfactory and we can claim with certainty that these translations impede the international promotion of this school of Chinese martial arts. This is because these translations lack in two essential qualities of terminologies, i.e. , standardization and terminological qualities. To boost the reception of 太极拳 and taiji culture among international audiences, the English translation of the term must follow the rules and principles of English term formation, and taijiquan should be the standardized translation.

Key words: taijiquan, English translation of terminologies, standardization, terminological quality