On Translation

Co-authored by Eugene Nida and JIN Di, On Translation was first published in 1984 by the China Translation and Publishing Corporation in Beijing. It is widely recognized as a classic in translation theory with a practical orientation.

Following the theoretical framework Nida had developed over decades of work on translation and semiotics, the two authors offer an easily comprehensible analysis of the complex problems involved in translation. After a critical review of the historical development of translation theory in the light of modern information theory, they elucidate the most fundamental principles of translation in accordance with the concept of dynamic equivalence. The treatment is closely related to actual translation practice, and the principles elucidated are applicable to all types of translation, though most of the examples analyzed are taken from translations between Chinese and English.

This new and expanded edition has two main parts. Part I is the complete text of the original work as published in the early 1980s. Part II consists of six of Professor Jin’s more recent essays, which provide further insights into the principle of equivalent effect and its applications in literary translation. Particular attention is paid to practical procedures and the extremely complex relationship between creative translation and real fidelity.

Appended is “A Translator’s Life,” an interview conducted recently in Ireland that reveals much about Professor Jin’s background and career as a renowned translator and translation theorist.