Translating Western Medical References in Detective Stories in China: A Case Study of The Complete Sherlock Holmes (1916)

Bo Li; Dominic Glynn

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Journal of Translation Studies ›› 2025, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (1) : 159-184.

Translating Western Medical References in Detective Stories in China: A Case Study of The Complete Sherlock Holmes (1916)

Bo Li¹, Dominic Glynn²

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Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work was regularly translated into Chinese despite the complexity of the medical terminology that permeates his work. This article considers how references in the Sherlock Holmes stories were rendered in translations published in 1916, thereby bridging the gap between Western and Chinese medical traditions. In particular, it considers how Western medical diagnoses and procedures were grafted onto existing concepts in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) through analysis of the translation methods used. It reflects on the need to make such medical references accessible to non-specialist readers in order to not impede their reading experience. By comparing early and later translations, the article assesses the extent to which Western medicine (WM) permeates Chinese culture at different points in twentieth century history.

Key words

medical references / Sherlock Holmes / Western medicine / traditional Chinese medicine / translation

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Bo Li, Dominic Glynn. Translating Western Medical References in Detective Stories in China: A Case Study of The Complete Sherlock Holmes (1916)[J]. Journal of Translation Studies. 2025, 9(1): 159-184

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