This study applies the principles of cognitive linguistics, with a focus on categorization theory, to analyze the phenomenon of non-linguistic category transformation in the translation of costume terms in The Peony Pavilion. By examining the translations by Wang, Bai, and Xu Yuanchong & Xu Ming, the research highlights how these versions successfully transform cultural information and cognitive frameworks from the source language into expressions familiar and acceptable to readers of the target language. This transformation occurs through three distinct processes: equivalent category transformation, mismatched category transformation, and absent category transformation. While these processes increase the acceptability and comprehensibility of translations, they also result in some loss of accuracy of original information and dilution of cultural nuances. The aim of this study is to explore the strategies used in the translation of costume terms in The Peony Pavilion through cognitive categorization. This research aims to encourage a broader engagement with cognitive translation studies in the context of Chinese opera literature and the translation of related cultural terms.

Zhou Dan, Guo Jing. Research on Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Costume Terms in the Translation of The Peony Pavilion. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2024) Vol. 7, Issue 4: 256-260. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2024.070440.

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