A history of terminology is a history of professional discourse. Terminology is the basic element of professional discourse, and the construction of a system for terminology is a mirror of the progress and direction of any discipline. This paper presents an outline of the ideas underlying the compilation of A Dictionary of Translation Studies in China (Second Edition), and introduces the editorial policy the selection principles, and the editorial practice of the dictionary. It reveals that the amount of literature on Chinese translations occurs in tandem with improvements in the translation discourse system. The dictionary has witnessed the conception, birth, and development of the discipline of translation.