Abstract: Since the late Qing Dynasty, Western terminology has played a significant role in shaping China`s modern disciplinary knowledge system through the process of "transcreation." Drawing on historical sources including translated Western medical works, medical dictionaries, and periodicals, this paper investigates the transcreation history of the term "syphilis." It explores how translating Western medical terms facilitated the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine, underscoring the pivotal role of terminology translation in forming China’s modern knowledge framework. The study identifies four main stages in the translation of "syphilis": from “花柳症” (huāliǔ zhèng) and “疔毒” (dīng dú), to “㿑”(yào), and finally to “梅毒” (méi dú). While this progression may superficially seem like a straightforward lingusitic exchange, it actually resulted from a complex interplay of factors, including the convergence of modern Western and traditional Chinese medical knowledge, the interactions among diverse knowledge agents, and the collaboration between foreign and local translators. The translation of Western medical terms such as "syphilis" not only broadened the traditional perspectives of Chinese medicine but also challenged and transformed its cognitive framework and diagnostic approaches. Moreover, it profoundly influenced the public`s modern understanding of disease prevention.