Abstract:

The proposal of Transknowletology has opened new prospects for translation studies that had long been suffering from a lack of fresh theoretical inspiration. As the principles of translation production and criticism embedded in this new theory, with knowledge at its core, ‘seeking knowledge with truth’, ‘demanding righteousness with goodness’ and ‘re-writing with beauty’ (or in short: truth, goodness and beauty) are rooted in philosophy and implemented in the process of translation. Thanks to their link to both theory and practice, they constitute essential elements on which translation knowledge can build up. As truth, goodness and beauty are originally basic categories from the field of philosophy, their definitions, applications and interconnections within the specific domain of translation must be considered and clarified by those who commit themselves to the development of Transknowletology. The review of the relevant literature suggests that: (1) truth can be understood as the truly sincere attitude with which knowledge is sought after and the true nature of knowledge; (2) goodness can be divided into the superior one consisting in shortening knowledge gaps between different cultures and the inferior one of facilitating target readers in acquisition of local knowledge from other cultures; and (3) beauty can be considered as a quality instrument for shedding light on truth and communicating both subject knowledge and language knowledge carried in source texts; (4) the three ought to be mutually serviceable as ends and means and are often found in subtle and sophisticated interactions. It is hoped that such contributions to the existing interpretations of the threes principles, completely drawn on the researcher’s limited knowledge and experiences, can inspire further inquiries into the topic in question with the final purpose of consolidating the edifice of Transknowletology.

Key words: Transknowletology, Truth, Goodness, Beauty, Meaning & Means