Translation Criteria

Abstract

This article studies how international business could suffer because of using the wrong translation criteria as guidelines in international business translation. The author starts with the discussion of translation criteria of different contemporary schools such as aesthetic equivalence, dynamic equivalence, adaptation school, and alienation school. Then, in light of the characteristics of each school’s criteria, the writer points out that there is not such an issue as to which criteria are more correct or superior to other ones. Each set of criteria has its own application area. Mechanically sticking to a single set of criteria will only yield undesired effects. To justify this point of view, the author uses specific examples of international business translation to show how international business stumbled because of translator’s undifferentiated adherence to the use of the same translation criteria or alienation approach throughout the translation process.