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    28 December 2024, No. 6 Previous Issue   
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    Zhuan (传), Yi (驿, courier stations), Yi (绎) and Yi (译, interpreting or translating): A Clue to the Interpreting of Translating Activities in Ancient China: Rewriting Chinese Translation History as point of Departure
    CAI Xinle, ZHOU Zhonghao
    2024, 24 (6):  1-17.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.001
    Abstract ( 15 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (1690KB) ( 3 )  

    Due to insufficient attention from academia, the differences between ancient Chinese translation(Yi译) activities and modern translation have not been fully explored. In fact, ancient Chinese translation activities have often been confined to “linguistic and semantic exchanges”, an observation made from a modern perspective. Rewriting Chinese Translation History not only locates the activities in this way, but also misquotes ancient texts in such a way that they are untenable. Returning to the historical scene, in the Fangyan (Dilects), the term 传 in “译,传也” should be read as “zhuàn”, meaning 驿(courier stations). In the “The Historical Records of Dawan” from Shiji (The Grand Scribe’s Records), the 绎in “daoyi”(导绎) means 译 (interpreting or translating) and is the phonetic loan character of 驿( courier stations). In the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, the name of the official interpreter was “Shi Yi”(使驿). These historical materials and their interpretations tell us that ancient Chinese译 was primarily an official activity centered on “Yizhan”(驿站, courier stations), aimed at “education”, and “chongyi”(重译)emphasizes this even more. The latter did not aim at linguistic relay interpreting, but information transmission from one “Yizhan” to another that ultimately reaches the center, indicating political activities of “paying allegiance to the central state” from all directions. Exploring ancient translation activities requires an approach focused on “character-based”, with the key being the benevolent thoughts reflected in “Ziru”(multiplication of characters).

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    Cognitive Linguistics is NOT “Deadly Sinful”:Its Development of Embodied Cognitive Linguistics
    WANG Yin
    2024, 24 (6):  18-26.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.002
    Abstract ( 14 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (1603KB) ( 2 )  

    Innovation should not go to extreme; criticism should not make radical remarks. Linguistic theory has inherited and developed until today via rethought and initiative. The present-day mainstream Cognitive Linguistics (CL) has also undergone the stages of “start, improvement, dominance, reconsideration”. Dᶏbrowska(2016)severely pointed out the seven deadly sins in the paper entitled “Cognitive Linguistics’ Seven Deadly Sins”, which, we think, is extremely inappropriate. She could not see the academic values of CL from the viewpoint of historical materialism: CL has criticized the two modernist great masters Saussurean “linguistic transcendentalism” and Chomskyan “linguistic nativism”, thus bringing linguistic theory into postmodernist era. In academic research, one should not harbor the mentality of “angry young cynic”, but pursue the path of “inheritance and development”. CL’s shortcomings are not at all seven deadly sins listed in her paper, but can be remedied by Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics, with the two terms “embodiment (ti)” and “cognition (ren)” emphasizing materialism and humanism in linguistic research. The present paper also thinks that we should hold postmodernist “View of Elephant and Leopard” and “Pluralism”, neither restricted to a single idea, nor influenced by extreme remarks, but with a standpoint of “long and wide view” and “inclusive and convergent attitude” so as to continuously promote a healthy progress of disciplinary construction.

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    “I am Franz, and I Like Drawing”: A Dialogue about Franz Kafka’s Writings and Drawings
    ZENG Yanbing, HUANG Jing’ou
    2024, 24 (6):  27-34. 
    Abstract ( 8 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (1581KB) ( 0 )  
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    From “Introducing Western Knowledge to the East” to “East-West Dialogue”: The Translation and Dissemination of Marxist Theory from the Perspective of Transknowletology
    WU You
    2024, 24 (6):  35-46.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.003
    Abstract ( 9 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (1620KB) ( 2 )  

    Being essential for the rise and fall of a nation, translation plays an important part in the modernization process in China. Since the late Qing Dynasty, Marxism got introduced into China through translation, functioning as a vehicle of fighting for national emancipation. In contemporary times, the translation and introduction of Chinese leaders’ writings based on China’s position and reflecting China’s wisdom to overseas countries has achieved the leap from “one-way (West to East) travel” to “two-way dialogue” in theory. Marxist theories, originated in the West, witnessed their great success in the East. Being adapted to the Chinese context and internalized as part of Chinese discourse, these theories, in return, have contributed to the development of today’s Marxism around the world. Thus, a probe into the history of translating and disseminating Marxist theories through the lens of Transknowletology reveals an important facet of East-West cultural communication, namely, the shift from “one-way traveling” to “East-West dialogue”.

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    Global Transmission of the English Translation of Chinese Marxism: The Case of Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung
    FENG Weilan, PAN Weimin
    2024, 24 (6):  47-54.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.004
    Abstract ( 11 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1606KB) ( 4 )  

    Translation is a mapping and exchanging process of local knowledge in languages. Transknowletology, placing translation within different knowledge communities, focuses on the global transformation of local knowledge. The English translation of the Chinese Marxist works Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung is a state translation program and an active act to have a dialogue with global knowledge. Starting from the three elements of knowledge, language, and translator in transknowletology, this article explores the global transformation of local knowledge in the English translation of the Chinese Marxist works Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung, and strengthens the positive promotion of Chinese Marxism in the world.

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    Probes into Some Key Details Concerning Chen Wangdao’s Translation of The Manifesto of the Communist Party
    LI Chunlan, KONG Lingcui, LIU Haiou
    2024, 24 (6):  55-65.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.005
    Abstract ( 9 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (1622KB) ( 3 )  

    Although the study on Chen Wangdao’s translation of the Manifesto of Communist Party has scored great success, it can be found easily that the key details of the translation of Manifesto of Communist Party are still quite confusing in terms of several aspects, such as the translation initiators, the initiating time, the master copies and the sources, the respective roles of the Japanese and English master copy, proofreaders and parallel texts. In order to seek the truth of such key details, this paper first comprehensively combs through various statements in existing researches and summarizes the contradictory relationships among those statements, then focuses on the analyses of the respective spatial-temporal trails and intersections of the main figures such as Chen Wangdao, Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Shao Lizi, and finally tries to reach the conclusion that can reflect the historical truth and conform to logic based on these analyses, related literature and logical inferences.

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    A Review of the Subtitle Translation of the Documentary Harmony Between Humanity and Nature Based on the Principles of Truth, Virtue and Beauty
    CUI Fengjuan, XIE Lin
    2024, 24 (6):  79-88.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.007
    Abstract ( 12 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1699KB) ( 2 )  

    Knowledge-centered translatology posits that translation is a process of globalization of local knowledge, which centers around knowledge construction. Subtitle translation of documentaries exemplifies this interaction and transfer between local and global knowledge. Guided by the principles of truth, virtue and beauty, this paper examines the subtitle translation of the documentary Harmony Between Humanity and Nature and explores the inherent mechanisms of subtitle translation in this work. By analyzing representative cases, we find that some translations of the documentary’s subtitles adhere to the principles of truth, virtue and beauty. Therefore, these translations convey authentic meanings, take into consideration the target audience, and meet the aesthetic standards of the target language. However, others do not follow these principles, which hinders the documentary’s international reach.

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    Knowledge Analysis of Roy’s Sinological Translation: A Case Study on the Complete Translation of Jin Ping Mei
    SHI Yun
    2024, 24 (6):  89-102.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.008
    Abstract ( 12 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1645KB) ( 1 )  

    Research on the Sinologist David Roy has primarily centered on the textual interpretation of his translation, often overlooking the sinological knowledge that influenced his choice of the original Jin Ping Mei. Besides, there are research gaps in understanding the broader context of his sinological translation. This article seeks to examine the translator’s deep motivations through an epistemological lens. It reveals that the previous knowledge circulation of Jin Ping Mei in the Anglophone world is a key factor in shaping Roy’s sinological research. Through multiple interactions with the author, the original text and critics, Roy developed his sinological knowledge of Jin Ping Mei. To reconstruct the original work’s full knowledge system within the broader field of world literature, Roy meticulously traces its sources, translates it word for word, and provides detailed footnotes. In doing so, he preserves the spirit of the original work to the greatest extent and offers a model of thick translation for classical Chinese literature.

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    An Epistemological Interpretation of Translator Competence
    LI Jing, HUA Yunpeng
    2024, 24 (6):  103-114.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.009
    Abstract ( 10 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1620KB) ( 0 )  

    “Translator competence” has received widespread attention following the “translator turn” in translation studies. Existing research has primarily focused on the classification of translator sub-competences, attempting to exhaustively identify all the abilities that translators should possess. However, the interdisciplinary nature of translation studies constantly expands the number of sub-competences, a situation that not only results in a time lag between translation research and translators’ actual abilities but exacerbates the current ambiguity in defining translator competence. This paper, based on the epistemological interpretation of translation and knowledge management and by taking generalized knowledge as the starting point for examining translator competence, proposes a knowledge-oriented approach to translator competence and conceptualizes all acquired postnatal translator competences as knowledge. It argues that translator competence comprises translational declarative knowledge, translational procedural knowledge and translational metaknowledge; translator competence is, in essence, an integration of structured translational declarative knowledge acquired through continuous practice and translational procedural knowledge that can be applied according to certain rules, and it is the embodiment of these two types of knowledge in translation activities under the management, guidance, and regulation of translational metaknowledge; the nature of translator competence development lies in the quantitative accumulation and qualitative improvement of translational declarative and procedural knowledge, the optimization of their structures, and the ever-strengthened regulation of translational metaknowledge.

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    Exploring the Epistemic Nature of Interpreter Education: Its Past, Present and Future
    OUYANG Qianhua, ZHONG Weihe, FU Ai
    2024, 24 (6):  115-124.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.010
    Abstract ( 11 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1636KB) ( 0 )  

    By reviewing and summarizing the epistemic nature of interpreter education, this study reveals a unique interaction between knowledge and interpreter education. On the one hand, the interpreting process is essentially a process of knowledge reproduction and transfer, and interpreter education provides a complete set of skills to support the processing, reconstruction, and dissemination of knowledge in the interpreting process. On the other hand, interpreting knowledge has distinctive characteristics and diverse forms of expression, and interpreter education has effectively integrated the different forms of knowledge. Building on these insights, this study explores the specific pathways for the evolution of knowledge in interpreter education from three perspectives: enhancing the quality of interpreter trainers, developing interpreter training philosophy, and re-establishing the order of the interpreting community. The aim of the study is to strengthen the disciplinary positioning of Transknowletology and provide a reference for the sustainable development of interpreter education.

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    Philosophical Reflection on Modern Crisis in Warabinokou
    CHEN Shihua, LIU Tiantian
    2024, 24 (6):  125-133.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.011
    Abstract ( 8 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1663KB) ( 0 )  

    The contemporary Japanese author Murata Kiyoko’s Warabinokou, uses the legend of Ubasute as its cultural archetype to depict the story of elderly individuals abandoned during a famine in the Edo period, struggling to survive in “Warabino”. The work, on one hand, scrutinizes the life predicaments of elderly individuals within the modern aging crisis through the reconstruction of self-subjectivity and life value of the elderly in “Warabino”. On the other hand, it reveals the necessity of recognizing ecological principles that establish an intrinsic unity between humanity and nature in the face of the modern ecological crisis, as exemplified by the harmonious coexistence of “Warabino” and the elderly. Additionally, by highlighting the intergenerational transmission of experience and wisdom among the “Warabino” elderly, the work warns of the imminent crisis of losing traditional cultural memory, particularly that represented by agrarian culture. The work offers a profound reflection on modern crises from the perspectives of life, ecology, and survival, conveying the author’s deep concern for humanity’s need to reassess its relationship with nature in the process of modern societal development and underscoring the crucial role of traditional culture in maintaining social stability and ecological balance.

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    A Literary Geographical Comparison Between Mo Yan and William Faulkner
    SUN Yan
    2024, 24 (6):  134-146.  DOI: 10.3969/i.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.012
    Abstract ( 10 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1647KB) ( 0 )  

    The growth of writers is influenced and restricted by regional culture, and their literary creation have regional characteristics. William Faulkner grew up in South America and created Yoknapatawpha County by using the realistic technique, taking it as a carrier to write the history and reality of South America. Inspired by Faulkner, Mo Yan has constructed the “Northeast Gaomi Township”, which encompasses all worldly phenomena. “The Northeast Gaomi Township” highlights the folk color, reflects Mo Yan’s hometown feelings, and provides a literary geographical space for telling Chinese stories and Chinese experience. In the process of narration, it has transcended the historical context and regional culture, constructed the connection between history and reality, and enhanced the writing value of regional culture.

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    Conspiracy of Narrative and Theory: The Implicit Non-narrative Process in Nabokov’s Novels
    ZHANG Qiong
    2024, 24 (6):  147-157.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.013
    Abstract ( 8 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1615KB) ( 0 )  

    In his novels, Nabokov employs variations, alternative texts, symbols and metaphors to stimulate diverse thinking. By intertextuality and parodying classics, he breaks through the enclosed semantic field, with hidden narrative, discourse and plots constructing compound meanings. In parallel with the plot and resonate with each other. They differ from the explicit juxtaposed clues, fragmented subtexts, and the“implied author”affecting readers. Instead, it is more appropriate to refer them as “processes.” In narrative interspersed with commentary, the narration and commentary are independent and corresponding to each other only in fragments. However, Nabokov’s implicit non-narrative processes are embedded within the plot, latent in the form of story props, structural elements, line content, voiceovers, developing with the narrative and jointly contributing to the achievement of the creative theme.

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    The Attempt of Okinawa Writers’ Anti-Japanese National Consciousness in Post-war Okinawa Literature
    SUN Yanyong
    2024, 24 (6):  158-167.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.014
    Abstract ( 10 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1587KB) ( 0 )  

    In post-war Okinawa literature, Okinawan writers have made attempts to fight against Japan’s national consciousness through their own works. Addressing these attempts to fight against Japan’s national consciousness is crucial to the interpretation of postwar Okinawa literature, and it can also provide valuable insights for enhancing the national consciousness of Chinese people, but this aspect has not yet attracted sufficient attention in the study of Okinawa literature. This paper analyzes postwar Okinawa literature from three dimensions: the Okinawan dialect, the Okinawan traditional culture, and the Okinawan war experiences and war memories in postwar Okinawa literature through thorough reading of the text. It is found that Okinawan writers let the Okinawan dialect, the Okinawan traditional culture, and the Okinawan war experience and war memory in Okinawa literature impact Okinawan people’s national identity of Japan, and this was an important attempt of their anti-Japanese national consciousness, which was an important attempt of Okinawan writers to free Okinawan people from the discriminatory status of the Japanese mainland and to establish their own autonomy in literature.

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    The Metapoetic Art of Faithful and Virtuous Night by Louise Glück
    NI Xiaoshan
    2024, 24 (6):  168-176.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.015
    Abstract ( 10 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1604KB) ( 0 )  
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    Triple Considerations for Developing High-Level Interdisciplinary Foreign Language Professionals from the Perspective of Global Governance: A Review of Foreign Languages Planning in China from the Perspective of Global Governance
    CHANG Shaohua, DING Qingyun
    2024, 24 (6):  177-183.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.016
    Abstract ( 8 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1596KB) ( 0 )  

    With the deepening of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China’s participation in global governance has increased, leading to a growing demand for high-level interdisciplinary foreign language talents. Through a review of Foreign Languages Planning in China from the Perspective of Global Governance, the article explores the fundamental educational questions of “whom to train, how to train, and for whom to train,” offering insights into the strategic positioning, pathways, and objectives for global governance talent development. In response, triple considerations are proposed:(1)aligning talent development with national strategic needs, (2)building a comprehensive interdisciplinary foreign language training framework, and(3)deepening the “major + foreign languages” model. Therefore, scientifically informed foreign language planning is crucial for developing high-level talents that align with national strategies, promoting paradigm innovation in foreign language education, and addressing the evolving demands for interdisciplinary professionals in global governance.

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    Sinologists’ (Re)Presentation of Chinese Literature and Its “Going Global”: Enlightenment from Zhu Zhenwu’s Trilogy of “Sinologists’ Representation of Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World”
    ZHU Ping
    2024, 24 (6):  184-190.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.017
    Abstract ( 12 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1592KB) ( 0 )  

    The translation and dissemination of Chinese literature plays a crucial role in the rise of China and the ‘going global’ initiative of Chinese culture. What to translate, who to translate, how to translate, and how to achieve the desired dissemination effect abroad? Professor Zhu Zhenwu has answered these questions in his trilogy “Sinologist’s Representation of the Chinese Literature in the English-speaking World”, which provides insightful enlightenment for the translation and dissemination of the Chinese literature: firstly, cultural self-awareness and cultural confidence are the prerequisite considerations; secondly, Chinese and foreign translators with their respective strengths should fully cooperate; thirdly, in terms of content, the works for translation must be well chosen; fourthly, as for translation strategies, both domestication and foreignization approaches are applicable to strike a dynamic balance between these two for different works; finally, for better communication effects, all parties involved in the actions of translation and dissemination should work as a community of synergy.

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    How Literature Imagines Thingness: A Critique of A Study on Narrative of Thingness
    ZHANG Xizhen
    2024, 24 (6):  191-195.  DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2024.06.018
    Abstract ( 10 )   HTML ( 1 )   PDF (1579KB) ( 0 )  

    The concept of thing-in-itself was proposed by Kant to define the boundary of human rational cognition. Whether it exists or not is neither verifiable nor falsifiable, and human rationality cannot reach it, thus becoming an unresolved issue in the philosophical field. Can we imagine, present, and touch thingness (thing-in-itself) through literary narrative? This is the focus of Professor Tang Weisheng’s original and insightful thinking in his book A Study on Narrative of Thingness. The book breaks the bias of anthropocentrism and returns to thingness, exploring how literature imagines thing-in-itself from the perspective of narratology. It provides specific critical perspectives, methods, and paths for text interpretation, as well as macro theoretical categories and models for post anthropocentric narrative research. It is perhaps the very first attempt, both in theory and critical practice, towards the interpretation of narrative of thingness, which not only leads the domestic research, but also attracts much attention from international scholars on narrative.

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