Western Interpretations Research Articles

Book Review: Introduction of Selected Chinese and Western Translation Theories

As China further opens up and integrates into the world, the demand for translation professionals has increased significantly. Despite the development of translation disciplines, the existing teaching materials have not yet met the needs of undergraduate education in terms of quantity and quality, especially for graduate students and doctoral students. To make up for it, the book A Selected Introduction to Chinese and Western Translation Theories emerged at the right moment. This article briefly reviews this translation theory textbook edited by Professor He Xueyun from Hengyang Normal University and published by The Commercial Press in 2021, with the ISBN 9787100201100, using research methods such as literature review, comparative analysis, and case study analysis. The book is divided into three main parts: an introduction to Chinese translation theories, an introduction to Western translation theories, and the main schools of translation theory. It is characterized by its comprehensive content, concise introductions, clear layout, highlighted key points, and ease of self-study, making it an excellent introductory book for learners of translation theory.

The Comments on Ezra Pound

As one of the representatives of Western literary theories, Ezra Pound not only made outstanding contributions to the development of the Western translation theory, but also promoted the communication between Chinese and Western poetics. His translation practice is rich and far-reaching. He also proposes the creative translation method. For example, Pound’s translation of ancient Chinese poetry can show remarkable creativity. Therefore, after sorting out relevant materials, this paper gives a brief introduction to him, his translation theories and translation practices, and also concludes his translation thoughts and his immense influence on the translation field, aiming to provide case references for translators to study and enrich their understanding of the representative figures of the Western literary theory.

Coopetition in development: A Chinese hermeneutics

This paper adopts Ming and Shi (“名”与“实”, or naming/saying vs gaining/doing) as critical Chinese hermeneutics to understand stakeholder coopetition in destination development. Through an ethnographic case study in an ancient town in China, three internal coopetitions are identified: Ming overriding Shi (以名乱实), Shi overriding Ming (以实乱名), and one Ming overriding another Ming (以名乱名). Three external coopetitions are also discussed: legitimating Ming with external Shi (以实正名), enhancing Ming in compliance with external Shi (名副其实), and replacing old Ming with new Ming (以新名替旧名). These Chinese hermeneutic strategies are contrasted with Western interpretations to shed light on intercultural understandings of destination stakeholder coopetitions.

AUTO CRITIC WESTERN WORLDVIEW ABOUT ECONOMIC MAN CONCEPT IN THE NEOCLASSICAL ECONOMIC ERA

Western thought’s worldview of the concept of man has influenced much of the theoretical basis of science. Without realizing it, the Western interpretation of the human concept still raises debates just like the concept of the economic man. The West’s failure to understand the concept of the economic man had an impact on economic problems in the neoclassical era. This study aims to analyze the worldview analogy of Western thinking about human nature from various figures and relate it to the context of economic problems in a neoclassical era. This study uses a conceptual approach. Western interpretations of human nature tend to be based on the nature of animals such as rational animals, zoon politicon, and homo sapiens. Meanwhile, in an economic aspect, humans are considered selfish, materialistic, self-interested, greedy, and always want to gain power. The worldview of various Western figures in interpreting human economics leads to the rationality of materialism. It can be said that the Western worldview fails in understanding the human concept. Failure to understand this concept raises complex economic problems in the neoclassical era such as scarcity, climate crisis, poverty, and welfare. Because human nature is uncontrollably exploiting nature through production activities to increase wealth is a main factor.

Decolonization in South African universities: storytelling as subversion and reclamation

Abstract Underscoring recurrent calls for the decolonization of university curricula in South Africa are underexplored presumptions that by only disrupting theoretical content, universities might release themselves from a colonialist grasp, that continues to dominate and distort higher education discourse. While it might be the case that certain theories hold enormous authoritative, ‘truthful’ sway, as propagated through Western interpretations and norms, there are inherent problems in exclusively approaching the decolonization project as a content-based hurdle, removed from the subjectivities of students’ social, lived, and learning realities. The argument advanced in this article is that until the epistemic harm of colonialism and apartheid are afforded careful recognition and attention—as in focusing on the lived experiences, realities, and stories of individuals—the hard work of delegitimizing coloniality, and its implicit structures of hegemonies and binaries cannot unfold. In addressing these harms, I commence by describing some of the contexts of epistemic harm, promulgated through colonialism and apartheid. This is followed by a consideration of decolonization, both as theory and practice-within-context. Here, I also foreground the #Rhodesmustfall campaign, as a particular moment of painful clarity about why decolonization, as well as transformation, has faltered in higher education in South Africa. In the second half, I focus on the necessity of prioritizing storytelling as a deep manifestation of decolonization. Stories, I maintain, provide access into unknown lives, and can subvert the invisible, normative framings, which dictate how we live in this world. As a manifestation of decolonization, students’ stories hold profound implications for the recognition and affirmation of pluralist identities, histories, knowledge, values, and world-views.

Fazlur Rahman's Approach to the Major Themes of the Qur'an and Western Interpretation of the Qur'an

Fazlur Rahman's Approach to the Major Themes of the Qur'an and Western Interpretation of the Qur'an

Combating Islamophobia: Compromise, Community, and Harmony in Mitigating Harmful Online Content

Despite significant advances in content moderation within HCI, social computing scholarship in this area remains constrained by secular values and Western interpretations of justice. As a result, current literature often overlooks religious and spiritual sensibilities, as well as communal peacebuilding efforts even when the harms originate from and strongly connected to faith sensitivities, such as Islamophobia. This article presents findings from a design and evaluation study on the reporting and moderation of Islamophobic posts on Twitter (currently known as “X”). By utilizing HCI theories and readily available NLP techniques, we developed an online tool for reporting and moderating Islamophobic tweets. We subsequently conducted usability studies, contextual inquiries, and interviews with 32 participants to assess the tool’s effectiveness in addressing Islamophobic content. Our study revealed that factors such as faith-related knowledge practices, fact-checking, communal leadership, social harmony, and the cultural-religious value of “compromise” significantly influence reactions to Islamophobic posts online. Expanding on these findings and drawing from the literature on conflict resolution in theology, legal studies, and justification, we explore how “Sulha,” a community-driven process for mitigating conflict and restoring communal peace, can cater to faith-based sensibilities in reporting and moderating Islamophobic content. Therefore, this article complements existing content moderation literature by recommending the adaptation of faith sensitivities in the design of computing tools and policies to mitigate Islamophobia and similar faith-related online harms.

The Evolution of Western Bible Translation Thoughts (Note 1)

With a history of over 2,000 years, Bible translation is an indispensable part of the whole history of translation. The translation thoughts, principles, and skills proposed by Bible translators are an essential chapter of the world translation theory. The paper firstly overviews the Bible translation practice diachronically. Afterward, it sorts out the Bible translation thoughts put forward by western translators including the translation view, readers’ response, as well as translator’s subjectivity. In this way, the understanding of western Bible translation theories in China is enhanced.

“The rubber band is already broken”: An extended case study of UNDP transformative resilience framework in the context of Palestine

ABSTRACT We critically explore the resilience discourse of the website for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the lead agency for resilience in the Palestinian context, through engagement with the local Palestinian concept of sumud and neoliberal and postcolonial lenses. Our critical analysis of the UNDP resilience discourse identifies three main problems: the linguistic localization of resilience, the claim of Palestinians’ responsibility for resilience, and the normalization of occupation and absence of justice. These three issues provide an opportunity to understand the limitations of the predominant Western interpretation of the UNDP resilience discourse and its inapplicability in the Palestinian context. We advocate for use of our conceptualization of transformative resilience to actively pursue justice in Palestine and similar contexts.

Translation of the Semantic Dimension and the Suggestive Dimension in the Holy Quran : Pickthall, "Village" and "City"

Following the unlimited number of the existing English translations of the holy Qu'ran, basically when focusing on the transfer of some words and Quranic concepts that seem to be synonyms or near-synonyms from the Arabic language as a source language into the target English language. Those kinds of translations seem to be superficial, for having tackled and dealt with those "key-words" literally, disregarding their holy references and sacred messages revealed for: a matter that does not serve and convey the aim of the Word of Allah. The aim of this modest paper is to shed the light on synonymy and near-synonymy in the Quran. The sample corpus of this study is limited to two concepts :"the village" and "the town"; and how have they been translated from Arabic into English language by the exChristian and the new converted Pickthall. This latter, as one among some western translators of the Quran could not grasp and fathom the deep meanings of these indefinite occurring sacred words . If this issue is very involved for those linguists; for the common people will become more convoluted, since they could not make a distinction between a mere connotative sense and a denotative one. This article may underscore this lost ring in translating these near synonyms into the target language.

Un-Tainting Ars Erotica: The Orient’s Perspective

This study examines the evolution of the Kama Sutra within the context of Hinduism and its subsequent misrepresentation through colonial interpretations, particularly focusing on the impact of Western scholar Sir Richard Francis Burton. Within Hinduism, the concept of Purusarthas encapsulates the foundational pursuits of human existence: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. While Dharma, Artha, and Moksha have historically held elevated positions, Kama's significance has been marginalized over time. Originally an autonomous pillar akin to the other three, Kama underwent censorship and degradation, notably evidenced in the Manu Shastra, attributing its decline to a deviation from righteous living. The translation of the Kama Sutra into English by Burton in the 19th century propelled its misinterpretation globally, transforming it from a comprehensive guide celebrating love and fulfilment to a sensationalized sex manual. This shift obscured the text's spiritual essence and cultural context, perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes and reinforcing Western sexual fantasies. Burton's translation, influenced by colonial agendas, not only erased the agency of women but also distorted the original intentions of the text, presenting a skewed narrative that catered to Victorian ideals and patriarchal norms. This paper examines the translation, portrayal through the lens of Orientalism, and the intricate gender dynamics the Kama Sutra embodies. Employing critical frameworks of translation theory, feminist analysis, and postcolonial perspectives, this study reveals how the Kama Sutra, as a historical and sexual text, underwent transformation under the influence of Western cultural impositions. Through the prism of translation theory, the paper unravels the colonial lens shaping the Western interpretation, thereby altering the original text to fit Eurocentric ideals. The feminist analysis exposes the erasure of female agency within the text, reinforcing patriarchal norms rather than liberating women. This analysis engages post-colonial theories, notably Edward Said's Orientalism, to illuminate the intricate power dynamics entrenched in the colonial interaction. It exposes how the Western perspective imposed its cultural prism upon Eastern texts, perpetuating a dichotomy between the Occident and the Orient. This division rendered the East a subject of both fascination and apprehension, leading to a reductive depiction that obscured the multifaceted and nuanced tapestry of Eastern cultures. Additionally, the paper integrates feminist and post-colonial theories to comprehensively investigate the profound impact of this representation.

Śrīkhṛṣṭa-saṃgītā : William Hodge Mill’s Sanskrit Christian Purāṇa

In the wake of Christian missionaries’ arrival in India, a profound engagement with Sanskrit ensued, resulting in the emergence of ‘Church Sanskrit’ Literature. This genre not only witnessed translations of sacred texts like the Bible but also spawned original compositions centered on Jesus Christ, serving as a vehicle for propagating the Christian faith among the Sanskrit-knowing intelligentsia. Notably, figures like William Hodge Mill played a pivotal role, crafting monumental works such as the Śrīkhṛṣṭa-saṃgītā, which garnered acclaim for its literary and scholarly merits, transcending even revered indologists of the time. His mastery of Sanskrit reached such extraordinary heights that Kamlākānta Vidyālaṅkār, a prominent Bengali scholar, bestowed upon him unprecedented praise, elevating him above esteemed figures like William Jones, William Carey, and James Colebrooke. Vidyālaṅkār’s proclamation likened him to the rebirth of Kālidāsa, the revered ancient poet, affirming the unparalleled excellence of his Sanskrit scholarship. Meanwhile, the Śrīkhṛṣṭa-saṃgītā, while serving as a historical testament to the life of Jesus Christ, transcends mere documentation. Rooted in Western interpretations of the Gospels, it stands as a literary masterpiece, blending historical narrative with artistic expression in a manner reminiscent of the belletristic tradition. The research paper discusses the unique attributes of the Śrīkhṛṣṭa-saṃgītā through the lens of Sanskrit Poetics, exploring its historical narrative while elucidating its impact on nineteenth-century Indian society. Through meticulous analysis, it seeks to unravel the interplay between literary artistry and historical accuracy in this seminal work, shedding light on the cultural and intellectual landscape shaped by ‘Church Sanskrit’ literature. By synthesizing scholarly inquiry with linguistic and literary expertise, this paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the profound influence of Christian narratives in Sanskrit form on the socio-cultural fabric of colonial India.

Harnessing African Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Knowledge Production: A Redefinition of a Culture-Centric Epistemology

Evolving an appropriate theoretical model which has the capability of exploiting the wealth in African indigenous culture-centric knowledge systems towards knowledge production is the great challenge that prompted this research. The aim of this study therefore is to re-examine the definition of culture in order to provide the interpretative criteria for understanding the foundational role African cultures play in the determination of the nature, scope and sources of Knowledge Africans appreciate and pursue, which are exploitable for effective knowledge production. This research identifies the indigenous values which yield pertinent knowledge that has historically kept Africa stable prior to the advent of slave trade, colonization and even in the face of today’s globalist agendas hence, the author projects the same for universal beneficence. However, this paper observes that the habitual reliance on Western interpretations of African realities is a gap created by Africans themselves by their over dependence on foreign epistemological structures with its strictures. The study in conclusion, suggests that Africa re-interprets her reality through a re-reading of her history, ideologies and the subsequent application of her knowledge systems through the lenses of her cultural uniqueness. The study adopts the content analysis and hermeneutical methods of enquiry.

Identity and historical memory of Russians in the context of confrontation with the "collective West"

Basing on the data of long-term sociological research, the authors study the influence of the construct “collective West” on the civic identity and historical memory of modern Russian society and investigate the dynamics of these attitudes of public society under the influence of the international political situation. “Collective West” is considered as a stereotypical construct founded on Russian public opinion and political discourse. The authors identify three main approaches to the description of the “collective West”: socio-economic and political approaches, as well as the strategy of studying the organisation of private life. This allows us to correlate the features attributed to the discursively constructed “Other” with the ideas about the “collective West” actualized in the mass consciousness of modern Russians. The authors summarize that the Russian collective identity combines both traditional-self, Russian, and Western-liberal values. But Russians are unambiguous when it comes to the interpretation of historical memory: they acutely perceive the discrepancy between Russian and Western interpretations of the past.
 The “collective West” has acted for Russia not only as a traditional socio-cultural and civilizational “Other”, but also as geopolitical competitor. Hence this is the peculiarity of interpretations of past events and historical memory in Russia and abroad. The “perestroika inertia” of attempts to reconcile different versions of the past was replaced in the 2000s by a sharp anti-communist discourse of a number of Eastern European states, their “turn” to the West and Russia’s growing external isolation. This revitalized the conflict between the national historical narratives of Russia and Western countries, and this is very painful for Russian society today. Negative interpretation of the events of Soviet history, especially of the memory of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, is absolutely unacceptable for the Russian historical memory. Russian people react to the attempts to revise the traditional interpretations of Russian history with the demand for reliable historical knowledge. People attitude to preserve the established interpretation of national history is related not to the fear of decentralization tendencies, as it was in the 1990s, but to their desire to protect the history of their families and family memory.

Strategies and problems of translating euphemism in two selected English translations of the holy Quran: an analytical study

PurposeThe present paper aims at defining and analyzing the techniques, strategies, and challenges in translating the euphemism of two English interpretations of the Holy Quran. The first is the translation of Abdullah Yusuf Ali (14 April 1872–10 December 1953), whereas the second is the translation of Arthur John Arberry (12 May 1905–2 October 1969).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a qualitative approach that is introduced through a theoretical framework thatdiscusses and elaborates on the term “euphemism”. After that, the study uses analytical approaches in order to define and analyze the techniques and strategies in translating the euphemism of two English interpretations of the Holy Quran.FindingsThe results elaborate on the techniques used by the two translators to translate the euphemisms of two English interpretations of the Holy Quran.Originality/valueThe reason for selecting these two translations is to find the different techniques and approaches of both Eastern and Western translators. The main analysis of the study is based on Newmark’s perceptions about the techniques and strategies of translation.

A Comparative Analysis of Eugene Nida's and Peter Newmark's Perspectives on Cultural Context in Translation

Translation, as a bridge between languages and cultures, is a complex and engaging field. The task of a translator goes beyond mere linguistic conversion; it involves the intricate process of transferring cultural contexts and meanings from one language to another. A review of Western translation history reveals a rich diversity of translation thoughts and a multitude of distinctive translators. Among them, two influential figures in the Western translation world, Eugene Nida and Peter Newmark, introduced renowned concepts such as functional equivalence, communicative translation, and semantic translation. These scholars have extensively studied translation theory, contributing significantly to the flourishing development of Western translation circles. This paper aims to comparatively analyze the thoughts of these two translation theorists from different dimensions, offering an analysis of the similarities and differences in perspectives on cultural context in translation and discussing implications for modern translation education. The following sections will provide a detailed discussion of this topic.

Health and illness beliefs regarding pain and pain management of New Zealand resident Sāmoan community leaders: A qualitative interpretive study based on Pasifika paradigms.

Ethnic disparities in chronic pain exist in Aotearoa New Zealand, including a greater impact of pain, less access to chronic pain services and less benefit from treatment for Pasifika people. This study investigated Sāmoan health perceptions and beliefs in relation to pain and how it is managed. An interpretive descriptive study was undertaken involving interviews with nine Sāmoan key informants from Aotearoa New Zealand. Interviews explored their beliefs in relation to interpretations of pain and experiences of and preferences for pain management. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four main themes were constructed from the data. Pain is interpreted holistically described the attribution of pain to many causes, without limitation to physiological explanations. Stoicism is a character virtue described the predominant belief that pain should be endured without display or complaint. Strength in connectivity described the inherent pain coping strategies that are present within Sāmoan communities. To improve healthcare is to nurture vā described the disconnect Sāmoan people feel from healthcare services and the need to foster relationships to improve health delivery. Sāmoan people have beliefs and perceptions about pain and its management that extend beyond traditional Western interpretations. While pain is often endured using traditional strengths within the 'āīga (family) and community, the Sāmoan community faces challenges in receiving healthcare from mainstream pain services. SO WHAT?: Clinicians need to foster stronger relationships with Sāmoan individuals and their 'āīga and appreciate the wider psychosocial context of pain, including spirituality.

The Chinese History of Translation in the Framework of Cultural Communication

Understandings and beliefs about translation activities related to a culture constitute the "translation view" of the culture in a specific historical period. And the history of translation is the intercultural practice of culture and the history of intercultural human communication. In the early history of translation, the translation view of the mainstream culture strengthened the image of the cultural center of the Han group including Confuses’ canons. By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to political corruption, people felt disappointed, depressed and helpless in real life and turned to Buddhism for spiritual shelter. Since then, the translation of Buddhist scriptures has been popular. At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, western translation of science and technology emerged, and introduced western spiritual and institutional culture, and new vitality into the development of Han culture.

A Contrastive Analysis of the “In-coming” and “Out-going” Translations of Zhuangzi

Based on Zhuangzi with Chinese Annotation and Translation written by Chen (2007), this article has conducted a contrastive analysis of different translations of Zhuangzi by Liang and Kang (2020), Ziporyn (2009), Legge (1891) and Watson (1968). This study aims to help translate Chinese classics and offer western readers a better comprehension of the extensive and profound philosophical thoughts of Chinese traditional culture. It is found that with full consideration of the target readers, Liang and Kang’s (2020) translation has retained most of the original thoughts of Zhuangzi and hereby bridges the cultural gap which is beyond the efforts of western translators. The publication of this translation has tremendous significance for cultural exchange and international interaction, guiding future translation practice and engaging in translation criticism.

Учебник «Мораль» как отражение социокультурных изменений в южнокорейском обществе

Moral education for schoolchildren lays the foundation for ethical human behavior, his interaction with others, life in society. The paper presents an analysis of the changes in the content of the “Moral” discipline, a compul-sory subject of study in the South Korean school curriculum. The remarkable thing is that the Republic of Ko-rea’s state curriculum “Moral” and its goals and objectives have undergone a number of changes over the course of its existence. The historical background for this was the country’s political events, from American oc-cupation to the establishment of Western-style democracy. It is emphasized that since 2015 the focus of the teaching material in the textbooks has shifted from society to the subject, and the 2022 draft textbook is entirely based on “universal” values in the Western interpretation. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that the gradual ero-sion of traditional socio-cultural and moral values and their replacement by globalized ones, including with the help of appropriate educational materials, leads to an intergenerational conflict, de-emphasis in the national cultural heritage, transformation of moral and ethical attitudes.