Translation Strategies for Chinese Human Rights Texts: A Big Data Analytical Perspective under Skopos Theory

Abstract

With the advent of big data analytics, new possibilities emerge for enhancing the functional adaptation of translations in cross-cultural communication. In the context of the increasingly pluralistic global human rights discourse, the cross-cultural transmission of Chinese human rights texts demands the support of sophisticated and effective strategies. Skopos theory, grounded in the principle of “functional equivalence,” provides a versatile theoretical framework for translation in international communication. This approach shifts the focus from mere linguistic transference to the reception and comprehension of the target audience within their cultural milieu. Given the policy-oriented, ideologically laden, and culturally specific nature of Chinese human rights texts, this study takes the white paper “Seeking Happiness for the People: 70 Years of Progress on Human Rights in China” as a case in point. It constructs translation strategies centered on policy and legal adaptation, ideological nuance, and cultural transformation. These strategies aim to mitigate cultural barriers and ensure the accurate transmission of information. Functioning as a cultural bridge in cross-cultural communication, they leverage big data analytics to foster a more nuanced understanding of China’s human rights narrative within the international community, enrich the diversity of global human rights discourse through data-driven insights, and provide a robust framework for addressing the challenges of cross-cultural adaptation in human rights text translation.