Shaping A Framework Of Studies On Translation For China’s International Communication

As China enjoys increasing international influence and political prestige as amajor power of the world, governments and people abroad show a growing interest inand attention to China. As a result, Duiwai Xuanchuan or China’s internationalcommunication (CIC) is becoming more and more significant. Waixuan Fanyi ortranslation for international communication of China (TICC), an indispensablemedium and a major form of international communication in present-day China,matters much to both China’s international communication and global image. TICC,with its dual property of both translation and communication, can be defined as abi-lingual, cross-cultural and trans-regional activity to share information andexchange thoughts, a global travel and dissemination of a certain ideology, and anadaptation and self-construction process of China’s image among the globalecosystem. Accordingly, Waixuan Fanyi Yanjiu or studies on translation forinternational communication of China (STICC) is characteristic of cross-disciplinarity,multi-dimensionality and wide accessibility. It is, thus, advisable to investigate TICCin an inclusive, systemic and comprehensive manner, which mainly explains why thepresent research opts for the philosophical approach.From the standpoint of fostering a disciplinary branch, the present research basesits inquiry on the theoretical foundation of philosophical studies and takes a lot fromthe philosophical approach to Translation Studies so as to explore both theories andpractices of TICC with a qualitative and comprehensive description and to shape asound framework of STICC with ontological, epistemological, teleological,methodological, axiological and critical concerns, which takes into account the seveningredients of information communication, namely, the communicator, purpose,content, channel, audience, occasion and effect of communication on the CICprinciple of “Three Closes”, i. e., close to the reality of China’s development, close tothe overseas demands of information on China and close to the mode of thinking offoreign readers (Huang Youyi,2004). Within the framework of STICC, ontological, epistemological and methodological concerns strike us as the most significant andurgent due to two aspects: on one hand, to define and understand the subjects of study,characteristics and regularities, and disciplinary affiliation is the foundation to carryout TICC researches and the prerequisite to establish STICC as an independent branchof study; on the other, TICC, the major medium and form of CIC, is aimed to“Introduce China to the world, Make China understood by the world; Bring China tothe world, Make China approached by the world”, theoretical methods and practicaltechniques, which largely fall back upon the methodology of STICC for solutions, arehence needed to realize such an objective with attempted effects. Admittedly, whileengineering the framework of STICC, many a TICC example is used for analyses toensure the integration of theory and practice, thus making it methodologicallyvaluable and significant for carrying out CIC and TICC tasks to a great extent.The present research consists of nine chapters, among which six chapters startingfrom Chapter Three to Chapter Eight constitute the body part, discussing the researchframework of STICC from TICC and STICC respectively. The nine chapters areindependent and self-sufficient on their own on one side yet interconnected andinterwoven into an integral framework, starting from introduction and literaturereview through the body to the conclusion on the other. Chapter One is theintroduction part of the research, focusing on the research background and motivation,the subject matter and scope of research, necessity and significance, research methodand goal as well as the organizational structure and main ideas of each chapter of thepresent research. Chapter Two comes to literature review, which mainly deals with theresearch status quo about STICC and the defects found in researches so far, paving theway for new approaches, especially for the philosophical one, based on which theframework of STICC of the present research is shaped. Chapter Three examines theontological concerns of STICC, probing largely into the essential properties or theontology of both TICC and STICC, covering a wide range of topics, such as keyconcepts and terms pertaining to STICC, the nature of TICC and its research, and thedual disciplinary feature of STICC as a branch of research. Chapter Four delves intothe epistemology of STICC by first introducing the terminological concepts, typological varieties, subjects of study, traits and requirements, principles and criteriaof TICC and then approaching TICC and its research from such macro angles aslanguage, culture and politics to check the impacts of linguistic signs, cultural valuesand political ideology on them. Chapter Five is about the teleology of STICC,involving both the ultimate goal of TICC on the macro dimension and the concretepurposes of the communicator, translator and audience on the micro. Chapter Sixconcerns the methodology of STICC, which consists of both theoretical perspectiveson TICC research and practical strategies and techniques on solving TICC problems.Chapter Seven first introduces the overall target of TICC pursuits and then answersthe question concerning value judgments, that is, what is the point of doing TICC orSTICC, based on the major roles played by TICC in the field of information, politics,economy and culture on one hand and the potential effects exerted by STICC ondisciplinary development and talent cultivation on the other. Chapter Eight touchesupon the criticism of STICC by first demonstrating the basic concepts, necessity andimportance of criticism, prior to proposing principles and standards for assessingTICC and its effects with concrete examples. Chapter Nine arrives at the conclusionof the present research, including major arguments covered, academic value andinnovations of the research as well as its limitations. It also leaves topics for furtherdiscussion and predicts the future trends of STICC. So to speak, the effort to shape theframework of STICC in the present research is but a rudimentary step toward theorientation of establishing STICC as an interdisciplinary research domain of its ownto facilitate CIC talent cultivation and improve TICC effects in an effective manner.As for the major contribution and innovation of the present research, it lies in itsdisciplinary perspective, its philosophical foundation and in particular, its STICCframework with ontology, epistemology, teleology, methodology, axiology andcriticism playing their respective role. Moreover, innovations and breakthroughs alsofind themselves in each chapter of the body part. For instance, there is a specialsection delving into the etymological origins of ‘‘Waixuan (CIC in Chinese)’’ and‘‘Fanyi (translation in Chinese)’’ and their correlation in the chapter concerning theontology of STICC. The ‘‘invisible hands’’ like linguistic differences, culture and customs as well as politics and ideology behind TICC and its research are disclosed inthe chapter about the epistemology of STICC. Perfect combinations of the overallCIC objective with international communication objectives of localities and industriesand with concrete objectives of communicators can be found in the chapter discussingthe teleology of STICC. Theoretical approaches are brought into the category ofmethodology apart from the tradition of talking about translation strategies, tacticsand skills alone in the chapter regarding the methodology of STICC. Discussions onthe axiology of STICC are not confined to the immediate needs and economic valuesof TICC, but rather innovatively take the role of STICC in disciplinary developmentand talent cultivation into full consideration. Furthermore, scholarly discourses onTICC criticism stressing appraisal principles and value judgments take shape in thechapter of criticism of STICC. All of these new moves will prove to be conducive tothe diversification of approaches to STICC and compensational to the knownresearches on TICC implemented so far.However, as an effort to shape a framework of STICC, the present research is nomore than an attempt to look back upon, reflect over and sum up the very aspects ofSTICC from a philosophical perspective so as to foster a new disciplinary spin-off, orrather it is but an all-round review and detailed account of what the author has beenpursuing and practicing in the field of TICC, there leaves much space for debate andimprovement. It is hoped that this research, targeted at providing a theoreticalframework for scholarship in STICC and a methodological solution for practice inTICC, will arouse wide attention to and great interest in TICC and STICC in theacademic circles at home and abroad, thus contributing to the establishment of a new(sub-)discipline called “Studies on Translation for International Communication”.