A Conceptual Metaphor Approach to China’s Cultural Diplomacy : A Case Study of Bilingual Exhibition Overviews from the National Museum of China

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F25%3A00143214" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/25:00143214 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://fphil.uniba.sk/fileadmin/fif/katedry_pracoviska/kvas/SOS_24_1/SOS_24_1.pdf" target="_blank" >https://fphil.uniba.sk/fileadmin/fif/katedry_pracoviska/kvas/SOS_24_1/SOS_24_1.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

A Conceptual Metaphor Approach to China’s Cultural Diplomacy : A Case Study of Bilingual Exhibition Overviews from the National Museum of China

Original language description

This study applies a Conceptual Metaphor Theory approach to a prominent linguistic aspect of the cultural diplomacy of China—the metaphors used in bilingual (Chinese-English) exhibition overviews from the National Museum of China. Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Metaphor Identification Procedure, we identify and analyze the conceptual metaphors prevalent in these overviews, posted on the museum’s official website between 2020 to 2024. We focus in particular on the most frequently occurring metaphors, including BODY, WAR, BUILDING, and JOURNEY metaphors. By scrutinizing both the Chinese and English versions of the texts, we observe that the English translations adopt strategies such as retaining, omitting, and substituting metaphors present in the original Chinese overviews so as to appropriately convey the metaphors to an English-speaking audience. The study reveals how these translations subtly attempt to preserve the essence of Chinese cultural metaphors and convey similar cognitive effects to an international audience. We discuss the challenges and successes in this translation process, such as the creative rendering of culturally specific metaphors and the impact on cross-cultural understanding. The findings offer insights into the role of language, especially cultural metaphors, in China’s cultural diplomacy and in the promotion of Chinese culture on the international stage. The research aims to deepen our understanding of how conceptual metaphors are adapted for intercultural communication, thereby shedding light on the global outreach of Chinese museums and China’s efforts in communicating its cultural specificity.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60203 - Linguistics

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

STUDIA ORIENTALIA SLOVACA

ISSN

1336-3786

e-ISSN

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Volume of the periodical

24

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

SK - SLOVAKIA

Number of pages

34

Pages from-to

25-58

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105011515721