An Overview of Translation in China.docVIP

An Overview of Translation in China: Practice and Theory by Weihe Zhong? Abstract: This paper provides a chronological review of both translation practice and theory in China. Translation has a 3000-year long history in China and it was instrumental in the development of the Chinese national culture. This paper deals with translation in ancient time (1100 BC-17th century), the contemporary time (18th century-late 20th century), the modern time (1911-1978) and present-day China (1978). The major characteristics of translation practice and contributions of major translation theories are highlighted. Keywords: translation, history, China, ? 1. Introduction ranslation has been crucial to the introduction of western learning and the making of national culture in China. China has an over five thousand-year long history of human civilization and a three thousand-year history of translation. This paper is to provide a chronological review highlighting translation theory and practice in China from ancient to present times. 2. Translation Practice and Theory in Ancient China 2.1. Early Translation in China The earliest translation activities in China date back to the Zhou dynasty (1100.BC). Documents of the time indicated that translation was carried out by government clerks, who were concerned primarily with the transmission of ideologies. In a written document from late Zhou dynasty, Jia Gongyan, an imperial scholar, defined translation as: translation is to replace one written language with another without changing the meaning for mutual understanding.1 This definition of translation, although primitive, proves the existence of translation theory in the ancient China. People tended to sum up the principles identified following his translation practice. China has an over five thousand-year long history of human civilization and a three thousand-year history of translation. It was during the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 BC) that translation became a medium for the dissem