User:Li Zhuoshan
Hello, sir. I'm Li Zhuoshan, your students in the class of Chinese Language Culture.My topic is about Black Myth: Wukong, and I have done my presentation. In my opinion, this class is so interesting and I like it, especially your performance, which is so vivid and easily understood. In this class, I can learn a lot from others'presentation, for example, many kinds of knowledge and tips of speeching.
Final Exam Paper
Culture-Loaded Words in Black Myth: Wukong
Game Introduction
Released on August 20, 2024, Black Myth: Wukong is a video game adaptation of Journey to the West that has sparked a global sensation following its launch. On its release date alone, the game sold over 3 million copies on the Steam platform, with total sales across all platforms exceeding 4.5 million units and generating revenue of more than RMB 1.5 billion (approximately USD 210 million). At The Game Awards 2024, it won both the Best Action Game award and the Players’ Voice award. The title has not only garnered acclaim from domestic users but also attracted a substantial overseas audience (Li Weirong , Li Zhaohui, 2025, 68-82). Moreover, beyond its commercial success, the game has generated notable social benefits by indirectly promoting the development of other cultural industries in China, including literature, philosophy, fine arts, and tourism (Lin Shengdong, Li Yue, 2024, 16-28).
The remarkable success of Black Myth: Wukong as a recent cultural work adapted from traditional storytelling stems not only from its reliance on digital-intelligent technologies, internet marketing, and precise user profiling, but more importantly from its authentic interpretation and presentation of Chinese elements. Widely recognized cultural symbols such as Chinese martial arts, architecture, ethnic attire, traditional music, and ancient artifacts have been thoughtfully integrated into the game. Players can experience a rich variety of traditional craftsmanship during gameplay and gain a unique aesthetic appreciation within a culturally specific atmosphere. Among these influences, the cultural symbols derived from Journey to the West have played the most significant role (Li Weirong,Li Zhaohui, 2025, 68-82).
In Black Myth: Wukong, the extensive use of culturally loaded terms makes the game not merely an entertainment product but also an important vehicle for cultural transmission. These terms cover geographical environments, classical proverbs, social forms of address, and expressions with distinctive Chinese characteristics. They not only play a key role in advancing the plot and shaping characters, but also open a window for overseas audiences to understand Chinese literary works and cultural context. This enables Black Myth: Wukong to carry both literary and cultural significance in its international dissemination.
Culture-Loaded Words Introduction
Culture-loaded words can be into devided into five categories proposed by Nida—ecological, material, social, religious, and linguistic words. The ecological culture word refers to elements associated with the natural environment, including topography, climate, seasons, vegetation and natural phenomena. The material culture word refers to objects created and used by humans, the tools of production and daily life, and associated practices, encompassing such cultural elements as implements, architecture, crops and modes of production. The social culture word encompasses elements related to social structure, interpersonal relations, social norms, customs, and institutions, including kinship terms, social hierarchy, marriage systems and legal codes as modes of social interaction. The religious culture word refers to elements related to religious beliefs, sacred concepts, supernatural notions and associated rituals and taboos, as well as the special meanings embedded within religious practices. The linguistic culture word refers to elements associated with the structure of language itself—phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon—as well as habitual patterns of expression, focusing on how features of the language system shape translation.(Nida,1945, 197-205)
Cultural Terms in Black Myth: Wukong
The ecological culture word
Mount Huaguo: The birthplace of the protagonist, Sun Wukong. It is not merely a geographical name but represents an idealized mythical paradise free from the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court, symbolizing the pursuit of absolute freedom and unconstrained existence. It is a mythological geographical concept with unique cultural connotations.
Water Curtain Cave: A specific cave within Mount Huaguo, named for the waterfall covering its entrance like a curtain. It is the natural dwelling discovered by Sun Wukong and his monkey tribe, serving as the core of his mythical kingdom.
the Flaming Mountains: A mountain described as having “flames spanning eight hundred li, with not a single blade of grass growing around it.” It is the domain ruled by Princess Iron Fan, wife of the Bull Demon King, using her Banana Leaf Fan. It is one of the most famous mythological geographical concepts in Journey to the West.
The material culture word
Kasaya: The monastic robe worn by Buddhist monks, specifically referring to the kasaya bestowed upon the Tang Monk (Xuanzang) in Journey to the West. This precious kasaya, described as capable of warding off disasters and bestowing transcendence, was a sacred Buddhist treasure gifted by Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Nine-tooth Iron Rake: The exclusive weapon of Zhu Bajie , fully named the Superior Treasure Golden-Iron Rake. It was forged by the Daoist deity Taishang Laojun using divine ice-iron and weighs 5,048 jin(approximately 2,524 kilograms). It is an iconic mythical weapon in Journey to the West.
Somersault Cloud : Sun Wukong's signature supernatural ability, allowing him to travel 108,000 li (approximately 54,000 kilometers) in a single somersault. This concept combines acrobatic motion with cloud-soaring, representing an immensely imaginative mode of flight in Chinese mythology.
The social culture word
Merits: Refers to the “merit and rank” within the imperial examination system of ancient China, specifically the titles and corresponding official positions obtained through passing the exams. This was the core ladder of social value and a primary symbol of status in the feudal society from the Sui and Tang dynasties onward.
This humble one's: A modest term used by young scholars or refined gentlemen in historical contexts, commonly found in traditional opera and novels. It is not merely a simple self-reference but a performance of social identity, signaling one's youth, cultivated manners, and literary pursuit.
Child of a concubine: A daughter born to a concubine. Within the strict patriarchal clan system that distinguished between primary wives (di) and concubines (shu), this status determined her inferior position compared to daughters of the primary wife in matters of inheritance, marital status, etc., profoundly reflecting the hierarchical nature of the traditional family system
The religious culture word
Buddha: Originating from Buddhist doctrine, it refers to the fruition or state attained through cultivation and enlightenment,namely, becoming a Buddha. Within the context of Journey to the West, it specifically denotes the righteous achievement conferred by Buddha Tathagata upon the Tang Monk and his disciples after enduring their trials.
Immortality: Stemming from the core pursuit of Daoism and ancient Chinese immortalism , it refers to the state of achieving eternal physical existence and perpetual youth through cultivation or consuming elixirs.
Fate: An abbreviation of the core Buddhist concept of “cause and condition” , referring to the interdependent and mutually conditioning relationships between phenomena. Often paired with “cause” as “cause and effect”, it is the fundamental principle in Buddhism for explaining the generation, transformation of all phenomena in the world, as well as the vicissitudes of human life.
The linguistic culture word
Boneheads: A Chinese dialectal slang term meaning "a stupid fellow." "Hang" originally refers to a tool for ramming earth, extended here to mean dull-witted or slow.
Good luck to you: Originally an admonition meaning one must rely on cultivating one's own virtue to seek happiness. It has evolved into a set phrase carrying a tone of exhortation or resignation.
As the small fish catches its prey, the bigger lurks behind:An allusive idiom . It metaphorically warns against focusing solely on immediate gain while being oblivious to imminent danger behind, crystallizing the wisdom of Chinese fables.
Terms and Expressions
Mount Huaguo 花果山
Water Curtain Cave 水帘洞
The Flaming Mountains 火焰山
Kasaya 袈裟
Nine-tooth Iron Rake 九齿钉耙
Somersault Cloud 筋斗云
Merits 功名
This humble one’s 小生
Child of a concubine 庶女
Buddha 佛位
Immortality 长生不老
Fate 缘
Boneheads 夯货
Good luck to you 自求多福
As the small fish catches its prey, the bigger lurks behind 螳螂捕蝉黄雀在后
Questions
1. How many types are culture-loaded words divided into proposed by Nida?
2.What is the social culture word according to Nida?
3.What is the material culture word according to Nida?
4.What type of culture-loaded words is “Mount Huaguo”?
5.What type of culture-loaded words is “Child of a concubine”?
6.What type of culture-loaded words is “As the small fish catches its prey, the bigger lurks behind”?
References
李伟荣,李炤辉.(2025).中国传统大众文化的数智创新与出海——以《黑神话：悟空》为例[Digital-Intelligent Innovation and Global Outreach of Traditional Chinese Mass Culture: A Case Study of Black Myth: Wukong].中国文化研究Chinese Culture Research,(03):68-82.
林升栋,李悦.(2024).《西游记》的分身——论《黑神话：悟空》的文化自信与国际传播[The Derivative of Journey to the West: International Dissemination of Black Myth: Wukong and Chinese Cultural Confidence].暨南学报(哲学社会科学版)Jinan Journal(Philosophy & Social Sciences),46(11):16-28.
Nida, E. (1945). Linguistics and Ethnology in Translation-Problems. University of Michigan Press, 197-205.
期末论文
黑神话：悟空中的文化词
游戏简介
2024年8月20日发售的《黑神话》是一款以《西游记》为蓝本的电子娱乐产品，自发售后在全球范围内引发了热潮，8月20日发售当天，游戏在Steam平台已售出超过300万份，加上其他平台，总销量已超过450万份，总销售额超过15亿元,并于全球游戏奖项TAG 2024(The Game Awards 2024)评选中获得了最佳动作游戏奖和玩家之声奖，不仅赢得了国内用户的好评，还吸引了大量海外受众。(李伟荣,李炤辉,2025,(03):68-82.)同时，该产品不仅在商业上取得成功，还促生了一定的社会效益，间接推动了中国文学、哲学、美术、旅游等其他文化产业的发展。(林升栋,李悦,2024,46(11):16-28.)
《黑神话》作为近年来改编自传统故事的文化作品所取得的巨大成功，不仅源于其对数智技术、互联网营销和用户肖像精准把握等途径的依赖，更来自于其对中国元素原汁原味的诠释和演绎。中国武术、中国建筑、中国民族服饰、传统音乐、古代文物等都是在国外广为人所知的中国文化符号，而这些元素都被《黑神话》很好地吸纳了。用户可以在游玩过程中领略到丰富多样的传统技艺，在特定文化氛围中获得独特审美体验。对《黑神话》影响最大的， 当属《西游记》所蕴含的文化符号。(李伟荣,李炤辉,2025,(03):68-82.)
在《黑神话》这个游戏中，大量中华文化负载词的运用使其不仅是一部游戏，更是文化传播的重要载体。游戏中的文化负载词涵盖了地理环境、古典谚语、社会称谓以及具有中国特色的表达方式。这些词汇不仅在推动情节发展和塑造人物方面发挥了关键作用,还为海外读者理解中国文学作品和文化背景打开了一扇窗,使《黑神话》在国际传播中兼具文学和文化意义。
文化词简介
奈达提出文化负载词有五类——生态、物质、社会、宗教和语言。生态文化词指的是与自然环境相关的元素,包括地形、气候、季节、植被和自然现象；物质文化词指的是人类创造和使用的物品,生产工具和日常生活用品以及相关实践,涵盖了诸如器具、建筑、农作物和生产方式等文化元素；社会文化词包含与社会结构、人际关系、社会规范、习俗和制度相关的元素,包括亲属称谓、社会等级、婚姻制度和法律条文等社会交往模式；宗教文化词指的是与宗教信仰、神圣概念、超自然观念以及相关仪式和禁忌有关的元素,还包括宗教实践所蕴含的特殊意义；语言文化词指的是与语言本身结构相关的元素——音系、形态、句法和词汇,以及惯用的表达方式,重点在于语言系统的特征如何影响翻译。(奈达,1945,197-205)
《黑神话》中的文化词
生态文化词
花果山：主角孙悟空的诞生地。它并非普通地理名词，而是代表了一个不受天庭管辖、追求“逍遥自在”的理想国和神话乐园，是具有独特文化意涵的神话地理概念。
水帘洞：花果山中的一个特定洞穴，因洞口有瀑布如帘幕而得名。它是孙悟空及其猴族发现的天然府邸，是其神话王国的核心所在。
火焰山：此山“有八百里火焰，四周寸草不生”，是牛魔王之妻铁扇公主凭借芭蕉扇掌管之地，是《西游记》中最著名的神话地理概念之一。
物质文化词
袈裟：佛教僧侣所穿的法衣，特指《西游记》中唐僧的袈裟。此宝袈裟“龙披一缕，免大鹏吞噬之灾；鹤挂一丝，得超凡入圣之妙”，是观音菩萨所赐的佛门至宝。
九尺钉钯：猪八戒的专属武器，全名上宝沁金耙，乃太上老君用神冰铁锤炼而成。此兵器重五千零四十八斤，是《西游记》中极具特色的神话兵器。
筋斗云：孙悟空的招牌神通，一个筋斗能行十万八千里。此概念将杂技动作与腾云驾雾相结合，是中国神话中极具想象力的飞行方式。
社会文化词
功名：指中国古代科举制度下的“功名”，即通过考试获得的秀才、举人、进士等头衔及相应官职。这是自隋唐以来封建社会最核心的价值阶梯和身份象征。
小生：旧时青年读书人或文雅男子的谦称，常见于戏曲、小说。它不仅是简单的自称，更是一种标榜自身年轻、知礼、尚文的社会身份表演。
庶女：妾室所生的女儿。在严格嫡庶有别的宗法制度下，此身份决定了她在家产继承、婚姻地位等方面低于嫡女，深刻体现了传统家庭制度的等级性。
宗教文化词
佛位：源于佛教教义，指通过修行觉悟而达到的果位，即成佛。在《西游记》语境中，特指唐僧师徒历经磨难后，由如来佛祖敕封的修行正果。
长生不老：源于道教及中国上古仙话的核心追求，指通过修炼或服食仙药等手段达到肉体永存、青春常驻的境界。
缘：佛教核心概念“因缘”的简称，指事物之间相互依存、相互作用的关系条件。常与“因”合称“因果”，是佛教解释世界万物生成、变化及人生际遇的根本法则。
语言文化词
夯货：中文方言俚语，意为“蠢笨的家伙”。“夯”本指砸地基的工具，引申为愚钝、不灵光。
自求多福：原为告诫之语，意为要靠自身修德求福，后演变为带有劝诫或无奈语气的固定说法。
螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后：典故性成语，出自《庄子·山木》与《说苑·正谏》，比喻只图眼前利益而不知后患，是中国寓言智慧的结晶。
问题
1.奈达将文化负载词分为多少种类型？
2.根据奈达所述，什么是社会文化词？
3.根据奈达所述，什么是物质文化词？
4.“花果山”属于哪种文化词？
5.“庶女”属于哪种文化词？
6.“螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后”属于哪种文化词？