Article published In:
TargetVol. 17:1 (2005) ► pp.27–48
‘To translate’ means ‘to exchange’?
A new interpretation of the earliest Chinese attempts to define translation (‘fanyi’)
This paper analyzes several terms used in ancient China to refer to the activity/activities now called ‘fanyi’ in Chinese, or ‘translation’ in English. By tracing the pattern behind the semantic and ideological jogging amongst these terms, the paper offers a new interpretation of the earliest Chinese attempts to define translation (‘fanyi’). The purpose is to highlight the constructed nature of the prevailing notion of ‘fanyi’ and unsettle its established meaning, the better to provoke theoretical discussions on and about ‘fanyi’. The final purpose is to provide a response to the recent call for a non-Eurocentric, international Translation Studies by advocating for a concerted effort to study the conceptualisations of ‘translation’ as they evolved in different cultures, with the view to eventually developing a general theory of translation that truly has general relevance.
Article outline
- Looking back at history
- Titles of government posts or attempts at definition? Or both?
- A farfetched interpretation?
- From the past to the present: Theoretical reflections on Translation Studies in China
- From the present to the future: International Translation Studies
- Notes
- Glossary of Chinese names and titles
-
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