Analysis of translation strategies in translating life-nurturing terms in Huangdi's Internal Classic ? Plain Questions: literal translation, free translation, transliteration-literal/free translation, or transliteration plus explanation?

The theory of health preservation in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is embodied in the great classic Huangdi's Internal Classic ? Plain Questions. As life-nurturing terms in the book convey profound meanings of ancient health preservation, their translation quality is of great importance for the cultural transmission of health preservation in TCM. On the basis of comparing different translations of seven life-nurturing terms in three representative versions of the book, our study discussed such translation strategies in C-E translation of life-nurturing terms in TCM as literal translation, free translation, transliteration-literal/free translation, and transliteration plus explanation to render the life-nurturing terms in TCM into English accurately, concisely and elegantly.