Translation as Knowledge Transfer about the Arctic: A Systems Analysis

Abstract

The article examines the translation of an Arctic text as a complex process of intercultural knowledge transfer. The research problem consists in exploring ways to ensure a coherent and adequate transfer of different types of Arctic knowledge to the Chinese reader despite substantial cognitive and cultural differences between the Russian and Chinese worldviews. The relevance of the study is determined by the insufficient development of the cultural and cognitive aspects of its representation in Chinese academic and social discourse. The aim of the research is to identify the mechanisms of transferring knowledge about the Arctic in the process of translating the book “Approaching the Arctic” into Chinese and to analyze this process using systems analysis. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the application of a complex analytical model of systems analysis that integrates three fields of knowledge (knowledge transfer theory, Arctic studies and translation studies). This makes it possible to view translation not as a purely linguistic operation, but as a multi-level process of using scientific, historical and cultural knowledge in the course of its transfer. The methodology of the study is based on the principles of the systems approach, which ensures a holistic description of the interaction between the source text, the translator’s cognitive actions and operations, and the cultural expectations of the target reader. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of applying its results when making translation decisions for texts about the Arctic. The study contributes to the development of the systems approach in translation studies and to the investigation of mechanisms of intercultural transmission of regional knowledge.