A Study on the English Translation of Zhangjiajie Cuisine from the Perspective of Embodied-Cognitive Translatology

Abstract

Situated in the heart of the Wuling Mountains in northwestern Hunan, Zhangjiajie serves as a core nexus where the region’s natural ecological endowments and multi-ethnic cultures converge. Its culinary culture is deeply embedded in the geomorphological features of the Wuling terrain, indigenous agricultural traditions, and the folkloric genes of the two major long-dwelling ethnic groups, the Tujia and the Miao. Taking Embodied-Cognitive Translation Studies as its theoretical foundation and strictly following the “reality-cognition-language” principle, this paper explores the multidimensional mechanisms through which geographical environment, modes of production, and ethnic cultural psychology shape the naming system of local cuisine, and delineates the embodied-cognitive logic and cultural core underlying such naming. Furthermore, by drawing on specific cases of English translation of Zhangjiajie cuisine names, this study adopts differentiated translation strategies, ultimately making the international dissemination of Chinese culture more diverse and compelling.