The Lion and the Bald Eagle Entered the Chasm for the Dragon: An Insight into Chinese and Western Views of Cultures and Body via Tiyong Shizhang

This study analyzes the differences between the first Chinese translation of the modern Western physiological text Tiyong Shizhang and subsequent books on similar themes. It examines the modifications—both omissions and additions—made in the Chinese version compared to the original English text. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jiayuan LIANG
Format: Article
Language:zho
Published: Editorial Office of Medicine and Philosophy 2025-02-01
Series:Yixue yu zhexue
Subjects:
Online Access:https://yizhe.dmu.edu.cn/article/doi/10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2025.04.14
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Summary:This study analyzes the differences between the first Chinese translation of the modern Western physiological text Tiyong Shizhang and subsequent books on similar themes. It examines the modifications—both omissions and additions—made in the Chinese version compared to the original English text. The findings suggest that the involvement of British and American activities in the "translation of Western science into Chinese" during this period carried undertones of "cultural colonization" and "missionary intent". The selection of the term Tiyong (body and its function) in the book's title reflects an effort to introduce the Western "mechanistic view of the body" into China, interpreted from a Western perspective. In the socio-cultural context of the Qing Dynasty, the title embodies a cultural-political metaphor contrasting the "noble Huaxia people" with "vulgar barbarians". However, due to the semantic disparities between Chinese and Western worldviews at the time, the interpretive framework of either side failed to fully capture the dual-layered significance embedded in the title.
ISSN:1002-0772