Core Glossary

translation_memory.json is the enforced glossary for every Phase 2 translation in this curriculum. This document summarizes its shape and the principles behind it; see the Glossary Risk Groups for the full per-term entries.

Composition

The glossary currently holds 47 terms spanning all four risk tiers, drawn from the doctrines identified in Doctrine Analysis and grounded in the cultural risks identified in Culture Analysis. Every term entry records:

• The approved Mandarin translation and Hanyu Pinyin transliteration
• The doctrine risk tier (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
• Explicitly rejected alternatives, with reasons tied to the specific tradition (Buddhist, Confucian, or imperial-political) each rejected term is drawn from
• Notes explaining any non-obvious translation choice

Governing principles

1. Established usage over invention — where the Chinese Union Version already has a settled rendering (神, 耶稣, 主, 基督), this glossary follows it rather than proposing an alternative.
2. Explicit rejection, not silent avoidance — every Critical-risk term records why the tempting alternative is wrong and which tradition it comes from, so a translator or reviewer understands the reasoning rather than just following a rule.
3. Version-controlled and append-only in Phase 2 — if a new term is discovered during document translation, it is added to translation memory and the version number incremented, never silently improvised per-document (see the AI Translation Requirements’ Translation Memory Load and Enforcement Instructions).

Relationship to the Doctrine Risk Registry

Every glossary term’s doctrine field links back to an entry in doctrine_risk_registry.json, so a term’s risk tier is always traceable to the specific doctrine it protects — the glossary enforces vocabulary, the doctrine registry explains why that vocabulary matters.