The Institute of Corpus Studies and Applications (ICSA) held the Second Forum on the Frontiers of Translation Studies at Songjiang Campus, Shanghai International Studies University on March 20th, 2021. Keynote speeches were given both online on Tencent Meeting and offline at the Conference Hall of ICSA.

The opening ceremony of the forum was hosted by Professor Han Ziman of ICSA, and Professor Hu Kaibao, Director of the Institute of Corpus Studies and Applications of SISU, delivered an opening speech. Professor Hu first expressed his warmest welcome to all the professors attending the forum. Then he introduced the objectives, research fields and major accomplishments of ICSA, reflecting on the past and looking into the future of Translation Studies in China. He proposed that Chinese scholars should diligently strive for a Chinese discourse system of translation Studies. After that was the unveiling ceremony for the Center of Language Data and Translation Studies and the Center of Translatology and Translation Discourse Studies.

Professor Huang Zhonglian of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Professor Fu Jingmin, of Shanghai University who is also the Executive Editor of Shanghai Journal of Translators, Professor Lan Hongjun of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Professor Shen Guowei of Kansai University (Japan), Professor Wu Yun of Tongji University, Professor Han Ziman of Shanghai International Studies University, Professor Liu Junping of Wuhan University, Professor Yang Shizhang of Shanghai International Studies University, Professor Liu Yunhong of Nanjing University, Professor Qu Wensheng of East China University of Political Science and Law, Professor Zhang Wei of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Professor Huang Libo of Xi’an International Studies University, Professor Chen Daliang of Soochow University, and Associate Professor Geng Qiang of Shanghai International Studies University delivered keynote speeches. They reviewed the past researches, summarized the research trends and provided suggestions for future development of domestic Translation Studies. Professor Sun Huijun and Associate Professor Geng Qiang of Shanghai International Studies University, Professor Huang Libo of Xi'an International Studies University, and Professor Yang Shizhang of Shanghai International Studies University hosted the speeches.

Professor Huang Zhonglian summarized the criticisms of Eco-translatology based on ten book reviews of the two most representative works of Eco-translotology, reviewed the development of this paradigm in China and its reception abroad, and looked forward to its future.

Professor Fu Jingmin analysed the current situation and shortcomings of applied translation criticism in China, and then pointed out that domestic applied translation criticism should set free from literary translation criticism, adopt varied perspectives, and develop theories and approaches suitable for its own development to meet the growing needs of applied translation.

Professor Lan Hongjun introduced the changes and expansions the development and spread of translation technology have brought to Translation Studies, and suggested that translation researchers should face the changes head on, understand and study the changes, and think about ways for technology to contribute to the development of translation theories.

Professor Shen Guowei traced the emergence and development of translation consciousness in Japan, introduced the main fields, latest trends and hotspots in Japanese translation research, and elaborated on how translation activities have influenced the formation of modern Japanese.

Professor Wu Yun introduced the concept of Visual Translation, illustrated the importance of multi-symbol system interaction in visual translation to cultural discourse communication, and stressed that the communication subject should reduce the negative impact of cultural dilution, integrate the communication chain of multiple visual symbols, and promote the application of visual translation strategies, so as to enhance the cultural communication between China and the world.

Professor Han Ziman reviewed the origin and connotation of the term technical turn in translation studies in recent years, and indicated that data turn is more in line with the status quo and trends of Translation Studies, which helps to introduce the concepts and methods from data science and various research perspectives into Translation Studies.

To mark the twentieth anniversary of Eco-translatology, Professor Liu Junping paid tribute to Professor Hu Gengshen’s devotion to translation studies and demonstrated three major philosophical values and functions of Eco-translatology from the perspectives of “Cosmology of Translation Ecology”, “Epistemology of Translation Ecology” and “Ethics of Translation Ecology”.

Professor Yang Shizhang stated that Adaptation has become prominent in translation studies, but has not become an independent research area. He further illustrated reasons for Adaptation to be a category of translation universals from the perspectives of linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and the value of translation, and demonstrated the values of Adaptation in general translation theories.

Professor Liu Yunhong summarized the trends of translation criticism in the new era: from one-way criticism to two-way criticism, from static product-focused to dynamic processes-focused, from text analysis-oriented to reader acceptance-oriented, and from experience to science and reason. She then analyzed the basic characteristics of current translation criticism studies and proposed to push for the development of translation criticism practice and theory through objective review and deep reflection.

From the perspective of translation history, Professor Qu Wensheng attempted to interpret translation activities as historical events, using Tianjin Treaty and Yantai Treaty as examples to explain translation issues in unequal treaties. By doing so, he emphasized the close relationship between translation history and the history of Sino-foreign relations.

Based on research papers on interpretation in major journals at home and abroad in the past five years, Professor Zhang Wei summarized and compared the hot topics, research methods and latest trends in interpretating research at home and abroad.

Professor Huang Libo discussed the definition of “traditional translation theories”, and reviewed the compilations of traditional Chinese and Western translation theories, translation history studies and translation theory studies. He then indicated the insufficiency of micro-research, limited research perspectives, insufficient systemic demonstration and other shortcomings in traditional translation theory research, and proposed that in the future, corpus and digital humanities can be used to deepen research at both macro and micro levels.

Professor Chen Daliang indicated that the development of traditional Chinese translation theories has been fragmented and non-theoretical after reviewing its several stages. He then proposed that traditional Chinese translation theories developed and intertwined according to the two main lines of faith and beauty and organized the evolution of the two main lines.

Starting from the phenomenon of interdisciplinary dissemination of translation theories, Professor Geng Qiang discussed Said’s Traveling Theory and Lydia Liu ’s Translingual Practice, commented on studies from the perspective of sociobiology, and indicated that intermediary is a necessity for the travel of concepts, which provides insights for the international communication of Chinese concepts.

Professor Han Ziman delivered a speech at the closing ceremony. He expressed his gratitude to all the participants and hoped that the forum has enabled all who were present to have a better knowledge of the state of the art and future trends of translation studies. In the end, he expressed his expectations for the next forum.

By Yin Qian

Photo: Qian Hong