Sinological Translation, its Methods, and Globalisation: How do Sinological Translators Communicate with their Potential Readers?

Abstract

In this article, the author presents a discussion of what he calls sinological translation, an important area of cultural exchange between China and the West, with a focus on the recent translation of Chinese culture into English. While arguing that in the international phase of sinological translation when globalisation characterises most cultural scenes no translator can maintain one singular cultural identity, he offers to examine the differences in translation among different translators, both native and nonnative speakers of English, from a comparative cultural perspective. As a conclusion, he cites Hall's theory of communication to support his argument that the potential readers the translator conjures up during the process of translation and his negotiation with them plays an important role in his decision making in the translation and in the formation of the style of the translated text.