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WU He-xiong
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2024.12.009
College of Foreign Languages, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
The term “zero report,” an essential component of public health surveillance systems, is used to denote the reporting of zero cases of a specified disease during a given period. Its Chinese translation, “零报告”, has often been misinterpreted by the public as “no report” or “absence of report,” resulting in confusion and misinformation. This paper examines the linguistic and cultural factors contributing to this misinterpretation, exploring the semantic discrepancies between “zero” in English and “零” in Chinese. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines theoretical analysis and empirical survey data, the paper highlights the challenges of translating technical terminology across linguistic and cultural contexts. It also provides recommendations for improving the translation of “zero report” and other public health terms to ensure clear global communication.
“zero report”, terminology translation, public health communication, semantic discrepancies, cross-cultural translation, terminology standardization
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, December 2024, Vol. 14, No. 12, 1126-1132
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