A bookshelf displaying bilingual dictionaries at a library in Qingdao, Shandong Province Photo: CFP

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The Second High-Level Forum of Dictionaries in China was held in Beijing, on Nov. 27th. Dictionaries are social and cultural projects describing the world through entries, carrying the collective memory of nations, passing down the collective knowledge of mankind, and promoting social civility and progress. 

Status quo 

Dictionaries include Chinese dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, ethnic dictionaries, etc. Over the past 30 years, all kinds of dictionaries have made excellent achievements in and contributions to the development of lexicography as a discipline. 

As the prototypical member of the dictionary family, Chinese dictionaries provide solid theoretical support for lexicography. Most lexicographical studies take Chinese dictionaries as the main objects of analysis and research, effectively promoting the development of the discipline. According to Yuan Shixu, deputy dean of the College of Chinese and Literature at Hebei Normal University, current Chinese lexicography research has not only been delving into ancient traditional dictionaries, but also introducing and incorporating prominent foreign theories. They have broadened the scope of research topics of contemporary Chinese dictionaries from both traditional and modern perspectives, while enriching research content. 

Liu Shantao, an associate professor from the College of Chinese Language and Literature at Qufu Normal University, said that the study of Chinese dictionaries is being further subdivided and new directions are being conceived, such as lexicography for foreign Chinese learners, modern Chinese lexicography, and converged media Chinese lexicography. However, the number of foreign-oriented Chinese dictionaries from domestic publishers is much smaller than domestic-oriented ones. Compared with the worldwide circulation of English learning dictionaries, foreign-oriented Chinese dictionaries develop slowly in China, calling for efforts to improve the learnability and pertinence while satisfying specific national needs in compilations. 

Bilingual dictionaries comprise an important type of lexicography, which connects the target words in the source language and the target language by providing an inter-lingual equivalent or corresponding expression. Yu Pingfang, deputy dean of the Faculty of Chinese Language and Culture at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, noted that since the reform and opening up, bilingual lexicography has developed significantly in China, featuring a vast quantity, diverse types, and extensive users. At present, the state of research in the field is strong, characterized by prominent internationalization, contributing substantially to lexicographical theory. However, there are still challenges, including the insufficient combination of practical and theoretical research in bilingual lexicography, and weak research on bilingual dictionaries serving international Chinese language education. 

While specialized dictionaries arise from social and cultural development, they are to a greater extent the product of scientific and technological progress. They reflect the status quo of disciplines, drive disciplinary development, serve as a convenient tool to seek knowledge and solve puzzles, and thus have critical publishing value. At the previous National Dictionary Awards, specialized dictionaries accounted for roughly half of the awards presented. Zhao Hang, deputy director of the historical and geographical editing center of Shanghai Lexicographic Publishing House, pointed out that in recent years, the specialized dictionary industry has produced a flourishing scene of dictionaries, talent, and theories. Many specialized publishing houses entered the field very early, establishing well-known brands with a myriad of competitive products. A large batch of publishers have devoted themselves to the field and vigorously developed specialized dictionaries in contemporary China. For example, according to incomplete statistics, Shanghai Lexicographic Publishing House has published more than 200 kinds of specialized dictionaries since 1980, making significant contributions to the prosperity of the field. 

Converged media dictionary 

In 2019, scholars put forward the concept of “converged media dictionaries” and proposed the “two major changes:” transitioning from print-media dictionaries to converged media dictionaries, and extending research from lexicography to dictionary-related affairs. Li Yuming, president of the China Association for Lexicography, explained that in recent years, dictionary circles have actively promoted the online operation of print-media dictionaries. For instance, Xinhua Dictionary and Modern Chinese Dictionary apps are available online. The “Judian” data sharing platform integrates the content of dictionaries such as The English-Chinese Dictionary and the Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine, building a systematic cloud data warehouse. Obviously, converged media dictionaries are becoming an important field. Furthermore, lexicography should also incorporate the study of dictionary-related affairs. Scholars should investigate dictionary users’ attitudes, demands, and usage habits, Li added. 

In view of weak research on bilingual learning dictionaries serving international Chinese education, Yu noted the necessity of further developing converged media dictionaries. The latest Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education can be used to determine the scope of included characters and words, the depth of interpretation, and compilation rules. Bilingual dictionaries should be developed according to learners’ needs, localized, and highly practical, while promoting fine traditional Chinese culture, advanced socialist culture, and red culture. Additionally, better serving international Chinese education requires accelerating the digitization of bilingual dictionaries and facilitating the usage of various mobile terminals for language learning. 

“The development of specialized dictionaries cannot be separated from the guidance of national planning. Related publishing projects should actively match national strategies,” Zhao added. The field must focus on disciplinary development and content innovation, especially the lexicography of frontier, emerging, interdisciplinary, and niche disciplines. Efforts to digitize reference books are also necessary to extend the reach of authoritative specialized knowledge. 

Edited by YANG LANLAN