Review of Lily Lim and Defeng Li (eds.). 2020. Key Issues in Translation Studies in China: Reflections and New Insights. Springer: Singapore. 203 pp. eBook ISBN: 978-981-15-5865-8

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Over the past four decades, Translation Studies has experienced rapid expansion, with China becoming a notable contributor to this field. Key Issues in Translation Studies in China: Reflections and New Insights (2020), co-edited by Lily Lim and Defeng Li, offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of translation studies in China, highlighting its distinctive historical context and modernization trajectory. Against the backdrop of globalization and rapid technological advancement, China’s translation discipline has experienced profound transformation: transitioning from traditional paradigms to modern frameworks, synthesizing both Eastern and Western theoretical perspectives, while continuously innovating in educational practices, technological applications, and industry standards. The book presents a collection of eight chapters that encompass pivotal themes including translating and interpreting training, cultural dimensions of CTS, cognitive processes routes of translation and interpretation, as well as curriculum design and assessment. Collectively presenting a unique lens to explore Chinese translation as a distinct academic discipline, the book highlights China’s evolving role in the global translation community.

 Chapter 1, “Chinese Translation Discourse—Traditional and Contemporary Features of Development,” discusses the development of Chinese translation discourse, its most important features and major stages, both traditional and contemporary, and how it has evolved from the past to the present. Zaixi Tan believes that, ‘as a system of its own’, Chinese translation discourse (as well as translation theory in general) has its own unique ‘Chineseness’, and should encompass both its historical roots and modern developments. Tan’s chapter effectively bridges the gap between traditional Chinese translation theory and its modern counterparts, providing a nuanced understanding of how past practices inform present-day translation studies. His argument for a holistic view of Chinese translation discourse is compelling and sets the stage for the rest of the book.

In Chapter 2 “Teaching Translation and Culture”, Yifeng Sun re-evaluates the role of culture in translation education, emphasizing its historical context, key issues, and contributions. Sun advocates for incorporating cultural knowledge and cross-cultural awareness into translation training and suggests that translation should not be reduced to vocational training but a balanced curriculum that equips students with heightened cultural sensitivity and insight into the intricate and dialogical nature of cultural disparities inherent in both source and target languages. Sun’s approach is particularly relevant in light of AI’s impact on the field, offering practical and forward-looking recommendations for enhancing cultural competence in translation education, making this chapter a valuable resource for educators.

Chapter 3 “Translation Teaching Research in the Chinese Mainland  (1978–2018): Theory, Method and Development”, systematically reviews the development of translation training in China from 1978 to 2018, highlighting key theoretical frameworks and publication trends. Youlan Tao, Hui Wen, and Shuhuai Wang underscore the critical role of translation teaching within applied translation studies, aligning it with the growing demands of the language service industry. Through a thorough quantitative analysis, the chapter offers valuable reflections on past developments and provides insights for future advancements, establishing it as a significant contribution to translation pedagogy.

Chapter 4 “Pragmatics and Chinese Translation” explores the pragmatics of translation. Vincent Wang critically examines the research on that topic carried out by Chinese scholars, categorizing the studies into two primary groups — pragmatics as perspective and pragmatics as behaviour. Using a case study from Pygmalion, Wang demonstrates the application of speech act analysis in translation, underscoring how pragmatic analysis can enhance both understanding of translation processes and quality evaluation. This chapter fills a gap in translation studies by illustrating the practical relevance of pragmatics, offering valuable insights for researchers and practitioners alike.

Chapter 5 “Cognitive Processing Routes of Culture-Specific Linguistic Metaphors in Simultaneous Interpreting”, examines how professional interpreters process culture-specific linguistic metaphors (CSMs) during simultaneous interpreting by analyzing their cognitive strategies through a corpus-assisted empirical study. Yue Lang and Defeng Li’s findings indicate that interpreters predominantly utilize a vertical route to interpret both literal expressions and CSMs, with a greater reliance on this approach for cultural nuances. Nevertheless, the grammatical unit of the source language exert minimal influence on the cognitive process of interpreting CSMs. Furthermore, it specifically contrasts metaphoric expressions with literal ones, addressing a gap in this field. Also, it suggests that future research on the cognitive mechanisms of simultaneous interpretation could benefit from utilizing larger corpus and online methods, particularly in elucidating linguistic metaphors. This chapter is methodologically robust, offering a clear example of how empirical research can advance our understanding of cognitive processes in interpreting. The authors’ findings are significant for interpreter training programs, as they highlight the importance of cognitive strategies in handling culturally unique expressions.

Chapter 6 “From Faithfulness to Information Quality: On 信 in Translation Studies”, discusses the role of Xin 信 in enhancing information quality in translation. Chu-Ren Huang and Xiaowen Wang offer a comprehensive analysis of the practical application of Xin 信 in translation, underscore the significance of information quality by asserting that Xin 信 should be evaluated through meticulous consideration of contextual meaning rather than a simplistic word-for-word translation. Through comparative analyses of two pairs of near synonyms in Chinese and English based on comparable corpora, the authors further expound that prioritizing information quality is essential for comprehending the significance of translation in today’s interconnected information economy. In this chapter, by examining synaesthetic and conceptual metaphors, the authors contribute to the discussion on faithfulness in translation, reflecting a shift toward functional and communicative approaches.

Chapter 7, “Interpreting Training in China: Past, Present, and Future,” reviews the development, current state, and future directions of interpreter training in China, emphasizing the integration of theory with practice. Lily Lim, in this chapter, reviews key milestones, explores training models through three curriculum paradigms, and advocates a blended approach that incorporates information technology and corpus-based practice. The chapter also discusses the relevance of community interpreting training, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the need to align training with global trends, aiming to cultivate interpreters with essential IT skills. The professionalization of community interpreting in China is still at an early stage of development. The field of domestic community interpreting research is relatively limited in scope and has not received adequate scholarly attention  (Hu 2018). Lim’s insights provide a comprehensive and relevant perspective on advancing interpreter training in China, especially community interpreting.

Chapter 8 “Translation and Interpreting Assessment Schemes: NAATI Versus CATTI” by Leong Ko, provides a thorough analysis of the translation and interpreting markets in Australia and China, along with an examination of the development of the NAATI and CATTI tests. It compares their structures, standards, components, and qualification pathways and examines the implications of these frameworks for the translation and interpreting markets, including ethical, social, and cultural dimensions. The author’s comparative study offers valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing assessment schemes, making it a significant resource for policymakers and educators involved in translator and interpreter certification.

The book is a significant contribution to the field of translation studies.  It offers a well-rounded exploration of both theoretical and practical issues in TS: translation and interpretation teaching and assessment (Chapters 2, 3, 7, 8), translation culture and the Chinese characteristics (Chapters 1, 2, 6) and linguistics (Chapters 4 and 5), with a particular focus on the Chinese context. However, the relevance of the topics discussed extends far beyond China, making the book an important resource for the international TS community. The editors and contributors have succeeded in addressing critical issues while also providing innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in the field. The book’s empirical focus, particularly in chapters dealing with cognitive processes and pragmatics, adds a scientific dimension to the discussion that is often lacking in more theoretical works.

While the book is extensive, there are areas where it could be further strengthened. As with any collective work, there is a lack of internal connections between topics across chapters, which may affect the continuity of reading. Integrating discussions of related topics into cohesive sections may enhance overall coherence. A limited portion of the information presented in the book could benefit from closer attention to detail, such as a misspelling of the author’s name (p. 65  Li should be Lv) and a minor Chinese transliteration error (p. 127 neng4 should be neng2). If future editions are planned, a thorough review of such details would further enhance the book’s overall professionalism and accuracy.

Nevertheless, this book is an invaluable resource for translation researchers, scholars, and educators in tertiary-level translation and interpretation programs, providing comprehensive insights on the latest advancements in translation studies in China. Through comparative analyses, such as between NAATI and CATTI, the book addresses the pragmatic and ethical aspects of translation and interpreting practices in China. This approach, combined with insights on translator training and assessment, makes the book a valuable resource for educators, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to align translation standards with the growing demands of international communication. Scholars may discover a wealth of current research trends and prospective directions in the field of translation. This not only facilitates knowledge exchange and growth within the academic community but also lays a robust foundation for future research initiatives.