Metaphor Translation in China's Green Development in the New Era: A Study from the Perspective of Emotional Equivalence

Haidi Feng

doi:10.54691/kxdmz869

Authors

Haidi Feng

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/kxdmz869

Keywords:

China’s green development in the new era; conceptual metaphor; metaphor translation; emotional equivalence; political discourse.

Abstract

This paper examines metaphorical expressions in the white paper China's Green Development in the New Era as carriers of policy concepts, national sentiments, and values. Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory and the principle of emotional equivalence, it systematically analyzes seven metaphor types and their translation strategies. Using HanLP for sentiment analysis, the study compares the emotional polarity of metaphorical expressions in the Chinese and English versions to determine whether the translation preserves the source language's positive emotional connotations and whether target readers can achieve comparable emotional resonance. Findings reveal a systematic link between metaphor translation strategies and emotional conveyance, with the degree of emotional equivalence significantly shaped by the cultural specificity of source-language metaphors. By offering cognitive insights and empirical evidence, this paper aims to contribute to the global dissemination of China’s cognitive frameworks and political discourse.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Sun, Y., & Zhou, T. (2024). Insights into English translation of metaphors from the perspective of national translation practice theory. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, (1), 125–135.

[2] Xu, D., & Zhang, X. (2025). On cognitive equivalence in emotional reconstruction in the translation of children's literature. Foreign Language Teaching Theory and Practice, (6), 80–87.

[3] Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.

[4] Zhou, X., & Huang, H. (2024). A dynamic visual comparative analysis of metaphor cognition research at home and abroad (2001–2022). Journal of Hubei University (Philosophy and Social Sciences), 51(5), 116–124.

[5] Steen, G. J. (2011). When is metaphor deliberate? In N.-L. Johannesson, C. Alm-Arvius, & D. C. Minugh (Eds.), Selected Papers from the Stockholm 2008 Metaphor Festival (pp. 43–65). University of Stockholm.

[6] Hu, Z. (2019). Methods and theories of metaphor translation. Contemporary Rhetoric, (4), 1–9.

[7] Newmark, P. (2001). A textbook of translation. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.

[8] Schäffner, C. (2004). Metaphor and translation: Some implications of a cognitive approach. Journal of Pragmatics, 36(7), 1253–1269

[9] Lu, W., & Chen, H. (2020). A study on the English translation strategies of metaphors in Keywords for China in the New Era. English Studies, (2), 136–145.