Mapping translation studies in China based on Holmes/Toury Map

Abstract

In the evolution of Translation Studies (TS) in China, one landmark development was its being established as a standalone discipline in 2004 and a seminal publication in this regard is Chinese Translators Journal (CTJ). This study, by surveying 1,283 papers published in CTJ from 2004 to 2016, aims to identify the main features and research trends of TS in China based on the Holmes/Toury map. It reveals that of the three branches of TS, the theoretical branch claimed the largest share, that the number of descriptive studies had been increasing and that the scope of areas covered by applied TS was expanding. Besides, the study also verifies the significant value of Holmes’ framework as a highly serviceable guide and its applicability, mutatis mutandis, to TS in China. This study may arguably shed fresh light on the latest developments of TS in the Chinese context.