Translation Ethics and Cultural Identity Construction in Wooden and Bamboo Slip Documents: A Case Study of Frontier Culture Texts from Hexi

This paper explores the complex ethical issues involved in translating historical frontier culture texts from the Hexi wooden and bamboo slips and looks at how these translations shape cross-cultural identity building. It argues that a one-sided ethical approach is not enough to translate these specialized, culturally rich documents properly. By carefully analyzing the unique translation challenges—covering linguistic, cultural, and textual aspects—and assessing existing translation strategies, the study uses Andrew Chesterman’s multi-dimensional translation ethics framework as its main analytical tool. The research emphasizes that a mixed, context-based ethical model is essential. This proposed model calls for combining two key elements: the strict accuracy required by the “ethics of representation” and the flexible, reader-focused approach of the “ethics of communication”. Meanwhile, the model should be guided by the “ethics of service” and thoughtfully follow the “ethics of norms”. The paper concludes that this balanced, multi-layered method is critical to achieving two main goals: first, building an accurate scholarly account of the Hexi frontier’s unique historical identity; second, spreading this identity effectively and meaningfully to different international audiences. Ultimately, this research seeks to provide a clear theoretical and practical framework for translating similar non-mainstream historical texts from Chinese cultural heritage.