Toward a Multimodal English Repository for Medicine-Food Homology Concepts

Abstract

“Medicine-Food Homology” serves as a fundamental cultural carrier for the international dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the global expansion of the health industry. Currently, the external communication of core concepts related to medicine-food homology in China faces significant challenges, including semantic misinterpretation, loss of cultural connotations, and reliance on a single mode of expression. The text-only translation model fails to convey the professional attributes and cultural values of these concepts, resulting in cognitive barriers, a lack of standardized expression, and fragmented communication in international dissemination. These issues hinder the accurate global transmission of TCM culture. To address these challenges and standardize the international expression system for medicine-food homology concepts, this study draws on multimodal discourse analysis theory to establish principles for constructing a multimodal English expression repository for the core concepts of medicine-food homology. Furthermore, several construction strategies are proposed, primarily focusing on terminology standardization and content quality improvement. These strategies aim to unify international expression standards for core medicine-food homology concepts, enrich the linguistic resource system for TCM internationalization, and support TCM academic exchanges, international cultural communication, and the cross-border development of the health industry. This research holds significant theoretical value and practical implications for enhancing the international influence of traditional Chinese wellness culture and promoting the standardized, systematic, and sustainable international development of TCM.