Ontological Research on Translation: The Third Way of Translation Studies, Intersubjectivity, and the Meta-translation Constitution of Humanity

Author: Cai Xinle
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The purpose of writing this book is to move beyond the long-standing confrontation between the "scientific view" and "artistic view" of translation, based on personal insights. Of course, this may only be a pipedream. However, translation theory should not merely oscillate between the instrumental and artistic perspectives inherent in the "scientific view" and "artistic view," thereby falling into the quagmire of pragmatism. Diverse perspectives may open new avenues for translation studies. What our book aims to do is to examine its historical nature and the underlying "constitutive" issues of the human element from the perspective of the relationship between translation and humans. Here, the term "constitutive" refers to the self-protective or conservative tendencies inherent in the relationship between human consciousness, transformation, change, and translation. In other words, we believe that only by acknowledging the individuality of humans can we specifically explore this translation world shaped by individuals and their differences, as well as the diverse patterns it has achieved. Therefore, in the book, we propose the concept of the "meta-translation constitution" of humans.