认知翻译学视域下铁路术语的本土化研究

A Study on the Localization of Railway Terminology from the Perspective of Cognitive Translation

摘要: 本文以认知翻译学为理论视角，探究近代中国铁路术语的本土化进程与内在认知机制。研究梳理了铁路术语从传教士直译的“火蒸车”等译词，到中国知识分子重构的“火车”“铁路”，再到与日源“铁道”竞争并实现体系化规范的发展脉络，结合原型与范畴化、隐喻、基于使用的理论，剖析了术语本土化的认知逻辑。研究发现，铁路术语的本土化是本土认知范式与外来知识体系的交互重构，其不仅完成了技术语言的适配，在一定程度上降低了铁路技术的社会认知门槛，为近代铁路建设提供了语言基础，同时也成为凝聚社会共识的符号资源之一，也为当代科技术语规范化提供了认知适配性参考。

Abstract: From the perspective of cognitive translatology, this paper explores the localization process and underlying cognitive mechanisms involved in railway terminology in modern China. It traces the developmental trajectory of these terms—from early missionary translations such as huozhengche (literally “fire-steam-vehicle”) through the reconceptualized terms huoche (“fire-vehicle”) and tielu (“iron-road”) coined by Chinese intellectuals, to the eventual systematization and standardization following competition with the Japanese-derived term tiedao (“iron-way”). Drawing upon the cognitive linguistic theories of prototype and categorization, metaphor, and usage-based models, the study analyzes the cognitive logic underpinning this terminological localization. The findings reveal that the localization of railway terminology represents a process of interactive reconstruction between indigenous cognitive paradigms and foreign knowledge systems. This process not only facilitated the adaptation of technical language, thereby lowering the cognitive barriers to accessing railway technology and providing a linguistic foundation for modern railway construction, but also served as a symbolic resource for forging social consensus. Furthermore, it offers insights into cognitive adaptability that hold relevance for the contemporary standardization of scientific and technical terminology.