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Article http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.03.002

An Empirical Study of Stein’s Translation and Introduction of Kuchean Culture in Xinjiang

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Jianjun Yu

Zhejiang Technical Institute of Economics, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China.

*Corresponding author: Jianjun Yu

This article was funded by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education’s scientific research project “Overseas Translation and Introduction of Xinjiang Kucha Culture” (Y202352120), which was applied for by teachers and doctors from Zhejiang universities in support of Xinjiang in 2023.
Published: March 12,2026

Abstract

This study undertook an empirical study of Stein’s translation and introduction of Chinese Kuchean culture. Stein was one of the earliest scholars to disseminate the Kuchean culture of Xinjiang to the world. In his numerous works, he rendered translations of Kuchean culture-specific items with cultural preservation, providing an effective medium for Western readers to understand the authentic Kuchean culture, and making significant contributions to the global dissemination of Xinjiang’s Kuchean culture. This article employs Aixelá’s theory of culture-specific items in translation to analyze the translation strategies related to Kuchean culture in Stein’s works, thereby demonstrating how Stein employed cultural preservation strategies in translating and introducing the Kuchean culture of Xinjiang. A sample of 105 Kuchean culture-specific items chosen from Stein’s works was analyzed. The result shows that 87 of them were translated and introduced by the method of cultural preservation, and only 18 of them were treated by the way of cultural substitution.

Keywords

Stein; Kuchean Culture; Translation; Cultural-specific Items; Cultural Preservation

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How to cite this paper

An Empirical Study of Stein’s Translation and Introduction of Kuchean Culture in Xinjiang

How to cite this paper: Jianjun Yu. (2026). An Empirical Study of Stein’s Translation and Introduction of Kuchean Culture in XinjiangThe Educational Review, USA10(3), 122-127.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.03.002