Introduction published In: Translation and Interpreting Studies
Vol. 20:2 (2025) ► pp.296–301
Translation studies in translation
Setting the stage for ‘going global’
Pan Wenguo and the politics of directionality in China
Published online: 19 September 2025
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.23093.sha
https://doi.org/10.1075/tis.23093.sha
Abstract
In his polemical article “Translating into/out of one’s mother tongue: On the feasibility of translating Chinese
classics into English by native Chinese translators,” Chinese scholar Pan Wenguo engages critically with the argument advanced
by British sinologist A. C. Graham that “we can hardly leave translation to the Chinese” (Graham, A. C. 1965. Poems
of the Late T’ang. Baltimore: Penguin Books.: 37). Arguing forcefully in favor of the translation of Chinese classics by Chinese translators, Pan’s
article is a seminal statement on the importance of ‘outward’ translation practices in China.
References (20)
References in English
Chan, Leo Tak-hung. 2019. “Contemporary views
of translation in China.” In A World Atlas of
Translation, ed. by Yves Gambier and Ubaldo Stecconi, 81–104. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Pokorn, Nike K. 2005. Challenging the Traditional Axioms:
Translation into a Non-Mother
Tongue. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2011. “Directionality.” In Handbook
of Translation Studies: Volume 2, ed. by Yves Gambier, and Luc van Doorslaer, 37–39. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
References in Chinese
Geng, Qiang 耿强. 2010. “文学译介与中国文学
“走出去” [Translation and Dissemination of Chinese Literature in the
World]. 解放军外国语学院学报 [Journal of PLA
University of Foreign
Languages] 33(3): 82–87.
Hu, Zhengmao 胡正茂. 2016. “汉外文学翻译的译者意识思考” [Translatorial Awareness in Translating Chinese
Literature]. 科教文汇 [The Science
Education Article
Collects] 361: 183–184.
Hu, Anjiang 胡安江. 2019. 多元文化语境下的中国文学走出去研究 [Research on The Overseas Dissemination of Chinese
Literature in Multicultural Contexts]. 清华大学出版社 [Tsinghua University Press].
Huang, Libo 黄立波. 2011. “译出还是译入:
翻译方向探究——基于语料库的翻译文体考察” [Inward or outward translation: an investigation
into translation directionality — a corpus-based study of translation style]. 外语教学 [Foreign Language
Education] 32(2): 96–101.
Li, Ping 李平 and Huang Hui 黄慧. 2013. “中国文学走出去——汉籍英译模式探究” [The ‘going global’ of Chinese literature — an
exploration of models for the translation of Chinese classics into English]. 现代语文 [modern
languages] 111: 143–145.
Long, Minhui 龙明慧. 2007. “从翻译方向性看翻译中的民族中心主义” [Ethnocentrism in Translation: From the Perspective
of Translation Direction]. 东南亚纵横 [Around Southeast
Asia] 2007(6): 69–73.
Pan, Wenguo 潘文国. 2004. “译入与译出: 谈中国译者从事汉籍英译的意义” [Translating into/out of One's Mother Tongue]. 《中国翻译》 [Chinese Translators Journal] 21:40–43.
Wang, Miao 汪淼. 2017. “翻译的方向性研究综述” [An overview of research on directionality in
translation]. 东方翻译 [East Journal of
Translation] 2017(3): 28–32.
Xie, Tianzhen 谢天振. 2019. “在译入与译出之间——写在《
译入与译出——谢天振学术论文暨序跋选》 即将出版之际” [Between inward and outward translation —
written on the publication of “Inward and outward translation — selected academic papers of Xie
Tianzhen”]. 东方翻译 [East Journal of
Translation] 2019(4): 4–7.
Yan, Jingli 鄢婧莉 and Wang Hong 王红. 2010. “从《 论语》
英译本看中外译者在典籍英译上的风格差异” [Differences in style between English and foreign
translators in the English translation of the Analects]. 云南财经大学学报:
社会科学版 [Journal of Yunnan Finance & Economics University’ Social Sciences
Edition] 25(6): 150–153.
Zhang, Lili 张丽丽. 2015. “文学经典的 “引进来” 与
“走出去”——楚辞《 国殇》 两个英译本的比较研究” [The “bringing in” and “going out” of
literary classics: a comparative study of two English translations of Chuci’s “Hymn to the
Fallen”]. 燕山大学学报: 哲学社会科学版 [Journal
of Yanshan University: Philosophy and Social Science
Edition) 16(4): 66–71.