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Oct 30, 2020 10:24
3 yrs ago
27 viewers *
Chinese term
坚持先进文化的前进方向
Chinese to English
Social Sciences
Government / Politics
The challenge here is translating the word "文化".
In some documents (or maybe dictionaries), it is translated into "culture", but I think "culture" doesn't seem to be appropriate because "文化" in this context is like a collection of customs which may serve as a metaphor for some larger concepts, mainly moral/political value or ideology. For example, when it comes to "先进文化" or "落后文化", the readers should understand that the phrase implies a kind of criteria deciding (or dictating) which is 先进 or 落后. It doesn't look OK to interpret it as "advanced culture" or "backward culture".
Looking forward to your insights!
More examples:
坚持先进文化的前进方向，必须在大力发展先进文化、支持健康有益文化的同时，努力改造落后文化，坚决抵制腐朽文化。要通过完善政策和制度，加强教育和管理，努力改造落后文化，坚决抵制腐朽文化对人们的侵蚀，逐步缩小和剔除它们借以滋生的土壤。
In some documents (or maybe dictionaries), it is translated into "culture", but I think "culture" doesn't seem to be appropriate because "文化" in this context is like a collection of customs which may serve as a metaphor for some larger concepts, mainly moral/political value or ideology. For example, when it comes to "先进文化" or "落后文化", the readers should understand that the phrase implies a kind of criteria deciding (or dictating) which is 先进 or 落后. It doesn't look OK to interpret it as "advanced culture" or "backward culture".
Looking forward to your insights!
More examples:
坚持先进文化的前进方向，必须在大力发展先进文化、支持健康有益文化的同时，努力改造落后文化，坚决抵制腐朽文化。要通过完善政策和制度，加强教育和管理，努力改造落后文化，坚决抵制腐朽文化对人们的侵蚀，逐步缩小和剔除它们借以滋生的土壤。
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
18 hrs
Carolyn Batay 蔡虹虹
Philippines
Philippines
Native in Chinese
Specializes in field
Philippines
Chinese English/Filipino Interpreter
Native in: Chinese (Variants: Mandarin, Hokkien, Traditional, Simplified) 
Works in: Chinese to English, English to Chinese, Tagalog to Chinese, and 6 more.
continue towards the direction of advanced culture
Declined
I think using advanced culture is ok, as culture can also be used in cases such as political culture (practices). You just have to specify which is being referred to.
Note from asker:
| Yes, it feels that "political culture" is a better term explaining this word. But it also seems that a part of this "文化" is not about politics because it also covers, for example, ceremonial practices or TV dramas. It's hard to specify what it is. |
1 day 15 hrs
In order to steer on the right track of the advanced culture
Declined
或者
In order to steer on the right direction of the advanced culture
文化和 culture 都是模棱两可的用词，用culture来翻译文化，在这个语境里有异曲同工之妙
In order to steer on the right direction of the advanced culture
文化和 culture 都是模棱两可的用词，用culture来翻译文化，在这个语境里有异曲同工之妙
Note from asker:
| 我同意culture是很模糊的概念，不过在我的理解中culture是个很中性的词，本身没有好坏之分。只有在给了一个限定范围时（例如corporate culture, internet culture），才能评价它的好坏。而这里的“文化”似乎是没有限定范围的，且对于“先进文化”和“落后文化”而言，其定义（据我所查）都是在政治上的，随时会变。 |
3 days 13 hrs
Ian Bartholomew
Australia
Australia
Native in English
Works in field
Australia
Specialist in cultural and social fields
Native in: English (Variants: British, Australian, US) 
Works in: Chinese to English
committed to advancing on the right path toward a more civilized society
Declined
I realize that this is quite a big step away from the literal meaning, but I feel that the word culture here is being used to refer to a state of society, and not just arts and social customs.
Note from asker:
| I would say "society" is suitable when you look at where the word "文化" eventually goes to, but specific to this sentence or this phrase ("先进文化"), "society" doesn't seem to be accurate. Otherwise, how would you translate "有益文化" "腐朽文化" as shown in the example paragraph? |
10 mins
Anastasia Andriani
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia
有多久经历当翻译员
Native in: Indonesian
Works in: Indonesian, English, Chinese, and 8 more.
Insist on the direction of advanced education
Declined
文化 另外的意思是Education。
看这个句子我觉得比较合适的education
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2020-11-03 11:45:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
教育 = education for formal education
文化 = education for formal and non formal education/ culture/well educated
看这个句子我觉得比较合适的education
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2020-11-03 11:45:24 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
教育 = education for formal education
文化 = education for formal and non formal education/ culture/well educated
Note from asker:
| 不会与“教育”的那个education混淆吗？ |
+1
12 days
To keep the direction toward the best practices
Declined
先进文化 best practices
落后文化 outdated practices
健康有益文化 healthy and useful practices
腐朽文化 decadent practices
供参考
落后文化 outdated practices
健康有益文化 healthy and useful practices
腐朽文化 decadent practices
供参考
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
David Jones
: I like your translation even though it's not how I would have translated this phrase :)
5 days
|
|
Thank you.
|
13 days
David Jones
Taiwan
Taiwan
Native in English
Taiwan
Chinese to Eng (English native speaker)
Native in: English
Works in: Chinese to English, English
Continuing along the path towards an advanced civilization
Declined
I believe I stuck with the larger idea but not the exact wording.
My knowledge of the 中國工廠當 is that socialism is a continuing process and so 堅持先進 is a kind of 'keep moving towards' the eventual goal of socialism / communism. So this is a process that has already started and is not yet complete.
文化 had 3 translations in my dictionary, culture, education and civilization （我平時會用 '文明' 形容 civilization) but in this instance I felt that it fit as I've often read that China is a 'civilization state' not a 'nation state'
http://www.scio.gov.cn/ztk/dtzt/33/6/Document/737372/737372.... - finally I googled 坚持先进文化的前进方向 and found this article and I felt that the talk of 文化体制改革 (in English that would sound so weird 'cultural system reform' lol) it just kind of felt that civilization would be the best fit...
Hope this is useful
My knowledge of the 中國工廠當 is that socialism is a continuing process and so 堅持先進 is a kind of 'keep moving towards' the eventual goal of socialism / communism. So this is a process that has already started and is not yet complete.
文化 had 3 translations in my dictionary, culture, education and civilization （我平時會用 '文明' 形容 civilization) but in this instance I felt that it fit as I've often read that China is a 'civilization state' not a 'nation state'
http://www.scio.gov.cn/ztk/dtzt/33/6/Document/737372/737372.... - finally I googled 坚持先进文化的前进方向 and found this article and I felt that the talk of 文化体制改革 (in English that would sound so weird 'cultural system reform' lol) it just kind of felt that civilization would be the best fit...
Hope this is useful
Note from asker:
| Thanks for the feedback. Your answer is valuable, and the reference you provide has been very useful in this instance. But I think a problem of these kinds of documents is that they may include a lot of "socialist terms" in the text but don't have any line that goes to the definition of those terms. The best I can find is just "一定的文化是一定社会的政治和经济在观念形态上的反映" which may shed lights on what 文化 is but is still vague. As to 文化体制, yes, it would be my question, too. In my understanding, it would mean "the governance of culture-related practices". |
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