In both Chinese and Western traditions, translation studies are closely related to aesthetics, especially language aesthetics, and aesthetic orientation runs through translation studies. Translation aesthetics also has persuasive explanatory power for the emergence and evolution of modern and contemporary translation theories. Literary translation must involve language and aesthetic skills in order to bring readers aesthetic enjoyment. Even in the field of applied translation, where machine translation has demonstrated its high efficiency, language aesthetics are still necessary and even more important. Compared with other research paradigms, the aesthetic orientation of translation studies has distinct functions in improving translation quality and cultivating translation talents.