Translation and Translating

The persistent gap between translation theory and professional practice has long been recognized by translators, yet meaningful integration remains limited. This book revisits the system of translation and proposes a new framework to bridge that divide. Drawing on Daoist dialectics, it introduces a dual system consisting of translation theory and translating theory. Translation theory focuses on abstract and macro level principles, while translating theory addresses the practical and micro level processes involved in real translating tasks. The book highlights the crucial role of knowledge depth in professional translating and examines how expertise shapes translation performance. To shed light on the often opaque black box of the translating process, the author conducts a cognitive investigation into how translators process language and information. On this basis, a practical paradigm called FAST, standing for fluency, accuracy, speed and tradesmanship, is proposed as a guideline for professional translating practice. The second half of the book applies this framework to concrete contexts including technical and legal documents, menus and poetry.