The Core Framework and Reconstructing Strategies for the English-Mediated Communication of Jiang'an Bamboo Carving from a Cultural Translation Perspective

Abstract

As a national-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) carrying Chinese literati aesthetics and philosophical thoughts, Jiang'an Bamboo Carving faces a core dilemma in its international communication: an imbalance between the deep-seated cultural "incommensurability" and the "superficiality" of its foreign language communication. Existing English texts mostly focus on process descriptions and factual accounts of craftsmanship, while neglecting the translational transformation of deep cultural connotations such as the "symbol of a man of virtue " and the "harmony between humanity and nature." This leads foreign audiences to encounter cognitive issues including symbolic misunderstanding, philosophical alienation, and emotional estrangement. From the perspective of English translation professionals, this paper, supported by Cultural Translation Theory, Thick Translation Theory, and Narrative Translation Theory, systematically elaborates on the role of translation as an "intermediary empowerment" tool in cross-cultural communication of ICH: eliminating cognitive barriers through Thick Translation of cultural symbols, building emotional connections via Narrative Translation of craftsmanship and philosophy, and enhancing communication effectiveness through context-adaptive translation tailored to multimodal scenarios. Ultimately, it realizes the upgrade from "language conversion" to "cultural meaning reconstruction," providing a theoretical framework for cross-cultural communication of ICH.