Returning To Ethics:on Chinese And Western Translation Ethics

The turn of translation studies from prescriptive to descriptive leads to the ignorance of the translator’s obligation and responsibility. However, the inherent connection between language and ethics dictates that translation ethics should one of the important subjects in translation studies. In the Chinese classics and the western philosophical works, the close relationship between ethics and language is always the focus of the Chinese and the western philosophers. As a cross-cultural medium between two different languages, translation is inevitably related with ethics. This leads to the increasing discussion of translation ethics among the Chinese and western translation scholars.In the history of the traditional Chinese translation theories, domestic translators and translation scholars have touched the point of translation ethics and their discussion deepens gradually. At the same time, the ethical ideas, as a research factor, also attract attention in the western translation studies. However, the studies of translation ethics in the traditional translation theories does not form a comprehensive system. As the development of translation studies, such contemporary translation theorists as Antoine Berman, Anthony Pym, Andrew Chesterman and Lawrence Venuti conduct researches on translation studies from various perspectives. They are the pioneers in this field for returning to ethics. Especially,"ethics of difference" proposed by Venuti has an important value to translation ethics in the globalization era. In the globalization era, the increasing communication between different nations and cultures poses a new challenge to translation studies. Shen Lianyun proposes that respecting for difference should be translation ethics in the globalization context. His opinion sheds light to the contemporary studies of translation ethics. Now, on the basis of previous studies of translation ethics, the urgent need is to expand its theoretic framework and explore its application on translation practice and translation teaching.The thesis is composed of four chapters. Chapter One is literature review of the studies of translation ethics in both the west and Chinese translation studies. Chapter Two discusses the ethical factor in the traditional Chinese and western translation theories. From the statement of traditional translation theories, it is evident that translation ethics is discussed in both the Chinese and the western translation studies. Chapter Three focuses on the contemporary studies of translation ethics in the Chinese and western translation studies. As translation studies deepens, translation ethics has received increasing attention. Chapter Four examines the further development of translation ethics in the globalization era. Returning to ethics is the inevitable trend of translation studies. At the same time, the study of translation ethics will promote the development of translation studies in the globalization era.