Evolution And Conflicts

From 1979 to 2007, the Translation Studies in China has gone through a crucial development of what an emerging discipline has undergone. This nearly-three-decade period is not only an era in which the discipline of the Translation Studies in China comes into being and enjoys a growing prosperity, but also a time when different paradigms and viewpoints collide and converge, each struggling for its legal academic position. This dissertation tries to investigate the academic outcomes of the Translation Studies in China from 1979-2007, to describe its different phases of development, to present the process of idea evolutions and idea conflicts, and finally, to conclude the beneficial academic attitudes and to warn the harmful misconceptions.Chapter One borrows the framework of "Poly-system theory" to survey the Translation Studies in China from 1979 to 2007. According to the different paradigms patterns, the 27-year period of development is divided into three phases. Before 1979, the Chinese traditional translation theories were overwhelming when there was no awareness of being a discipline. From 1979 to 1986, the linguistic paradigm appeared when two concepts began to collide. From 1986 to 1995, scholars in the translation studies were eager to construct a separate discipline of Translation Studies when the linguistic paradigm began to share the central position with Chinese traditional translation theories. From 1995 to 2007, cultural studies paradigm began its centripetal motion in China's Translation Studies circle when an era of multi-paradigms began in China.Chapter Two tries to trace the idea evolutions in China's Translation Studies circle from 1979 to 2007. By asking three questions which involve the recognitions of the discipline object, the discipline terminological systems, and the discipline object's definitions, this chapter demonstrates the deepening understanding of the Translation Studies Discipline in China.Chapter Three tries to present the three idea conflicts in China's Translation Studies circle. The first conflict was the arguments about if or not should China's Translation Studies deliberately maintain its Chinese feature by rejecting foreign translation theories. The second conflict was the argument about if translation theories are worthless or not. The third conflict was the argument about if the cultural studies paradigms and the deconstruction paradigms have diverted from the Translation Studies per se. By displaying each point of view as well as its supporting evidences, this chapter discloses the dominating ideas in China's Translation Studies circle.This dissertation focuses on the ideas of Translation Studies discipline. The conclusion part lists some academic diseases and misconceptions existed in China's Translation Studies circle. By focusing on academic attitudes and discipline recognitions, this dissertation hopes to build up some common-sense ground on which we can push China's Translation Studies in a more efficient way.