Social Sciences in China Review

No.2, 2019

Paradigm Innovation and Ontological Discourse: A Criticism of Translated Literature Study (Abstract)

Geng Qiang

Translated literature study is a discourse of translation theory proposed in recent years by Chinese scholar Wang Xiangyuan concerning medio-translatology. At its core it centers on the translated text so as to open up the research on translated literature, making use of many reinterpreted concepts to examine the generation and the evaluation of translations. As a new paradigm in translation studies, translated literature study belongs to translation’s ontological discourse, but it does not propose a new understanding or concept of translation. Its innovation is mainly methodologically conducted imposed interpretation of terminology from different sources to meet individual needs. Seen through translated literature study, these concepts are expressive rather than instrumental. They lack a clear definition and cannot be used to accurately describe the translation. Although translated literature study draws on traditional Chinese translation theories and modern translation discourse, there are still many arduous tasks ahead for the construction of a translation discourse that is based on China’s reality and that integrates Chinese and foreign wisdom.