Multidimensional analysis of H&SS terminology translation

Abstract The complexity of terms in the humanities and social sciences (H&SS) poses significant challenges to translation. Drawing on the translation practice of The History of Chinese Printing , this paper first identifies four key stages in terminology translation where such difficulties predominantly arise, namely term identification, meaning determination, target-text representation, and consistency maintenance. Subsequently, the paper takes the Chinese-to-English (C-E) terminology in The History of Chinese Printing as a case study to compare the human-translated version with AI-generated translations. Guided by the Communicative Theory of Terminology, it then explores the multidimensionality of terminology translation from cognitive, linguistic, and communicative perspectives. The study reveals the multidimensional nature of H&SS terminology translation and highlights the translator’s irreplaceable role, providing valuable implications for translation practice and translation teaching.