I. Introduction
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Translation Studies at Wuhan University of Technology is established to harness the research strengths of various departments in the School of Foreign Languages to attract high-level research talents from both within and outside the university. The centre is dedicated to high-quality teaching, research, and social services. Continuously keeping track of the global dynamics in interdisciplinary translation research, the centre has published its latest research findings on various interdisciplinary topics such as translation with linguistics, hermeneutics, communication studies, semiotics, media studies, cognitive psychology, computer science and neuroscience. It leads the future development of interdisciplinary translation research, engaging in extensive academic exchanges and collaborations with renowned universities, enterprises, and research institutions both domestically and internationally. The center focuses on the research of cutting-edge academic issues, major theoretical questions, and practical issues in interdisciplinary translation studies. Its priority is given to the following branches: corpus-based translation studies developed through the combination of computational linguistics and corpus linguistics; cultural studies’ translation research combined with cultural studies; the dissemination of Chinese literary and medical classics; translation of political discourse; Chinese-foreign translation of legal discourse; cognitive studies on translation and interpreting enhanced by psycholinguistics, cognitive science, neuroscience, and biological science. Additionally, the center aims to meet the needs of the university's translation programs and the MTI (Master of Translation and Interpreting) program, promoting disciplinary construction and quality improvement, and cultivating interdisciplinary research and practical talents in major languages such as English, Japanese, French, German, and Russian.
II. Research Directions
1. Corpus-Based Translation
This field focuses on the forefront of corpus-based translation studies, exploring hot topics, grasping the latest trends in current research, and addressing major theoretical and practical issues. Key research areas include the construction of monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual parallel corpora, comparable corpora, and multimodal translation corpora for teaching or research; corpus-based research on Chinese/English legal discourse translation; corpus-based research on the translation and reception of political discourse; corpus-based research on the translation of foreign literary classics into Chinese; corpus-based research on translation paradigms; corpus-based research on translation universals, translation processes, translation shifts and norms, translator style, and translation teaching; corpus-based research on interpreting features. The goal is to explore new ideas, methods, and approaches for interdisciplinary research in translation and other fields, with an aim of identifying and solving new problems to advance new frontiers in academic research.
2. Interdisciplinary Research in Translation and Culture
This field explores the theoretical and methodological integration of translation studies and cultural studies, using theories from text analysis, translation sociology, and discourse analysis to delve into the role of translation in cross-cultural communication. Since translation has be developed by blurring geographical boundaries, it allows researchers to re-examine the linguistic and cultural commonalities and differences between different regions and countries. This cross-border cultural dissemination through translation enables different cultural traditions to interact, forming a two-way positive interaction. Additionally, translation helps people critically examine multiculturism in modern society. In the new century, with the deepening of globalization and the rise of cultural conflicts, building a community with a shared future for mankind has become the main theme of global development. In this context, constructing an appropriate Chinese-foreign discourse system, promoting cultural exchanges, and seeking consensus have made interdisciplinary research in translation studies and cultural studies more important than ever. This research field involves theoretical construction and application research in the interdisciplinary study of translation studies and cultural studies, covering translation in line with pragmatics, ethics, consumer culture, popular culture, ecology, development of technological civilization, and digital humanities in film and television.
3. Big Data Humanities and the Dissemination of Chinese Literary and Medical Classics
Chinese literary and medical classics are vast repositories of ancient wisdom and treasures of traditional Chinese culture. This field aims to utilize existing networked humanities databases or to build specialized humanities databases to explore the translation and introduction of Chinese literary and medical classics. Key research directions include the translation and introduction of pre-Qin Chinese literary classics, Tang and Song dynasty literary classics, Ming and Qing dynasty literary classics, Chinese medical classics, and outstanding works by famous authors from different historical periods.
4. Cognitive Studies on Translation and Interpreting
This field focuses on the forefront of cognitive studies on translation and interpreting, exploring hot topics, grasping the latest trends, and employing an empirical-experimental research paradigm. Advanced equipment such as eye trackers is used to track the eye movements, fixation points, and fixation durations of student and professional interpreters, analyzing these behavioral data to infer attention distribution, cognitive load, and processing patterns of translators. Brainwave and blood flow are measured by electroencephalographs (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are used to examine the neurological and physiological mechanisms of interpreters' brain activity, reveal the psychological and cognitive patterns of student and professional interpreters, and identify ways to improve translation and interpreting performance through corrective measures. Alternatively, triangulation can be employed, where experimental data is collected using different technical devices and analyzed independently. Subsequently, the experimental results are validated from multiple perspectives to improve the accuracy and reliability of the research conclusions. The main research directions include cognitive pattern research of student interpreters, cognitive mechanism research of professional interpreters, and research on pathways to improve the translation and interpreting performance of MTI quasi-professional interpreters.
III. Development Plan
The Centre actively cultivates leading scholars and direction leaders to build a strong disciplinary team. It promotes research activities, enhances research capabilities, and improves research levels and research quality. Key research topics are identified, and efforts are made to publish research papers or monographs, ensuring that research work is targeted, planned, and prioritized, thereby forming a distinctive research profile and creating new research landscape. Specifically, the centre is expected to develop in the following five aspects:
1. Forming Disciplinary Features and Advantages
Efforts are made to enhance research levels and to improve research quality, establishing a well-structured teaching and research team with strong backup forces. With eight members in place, the center plans to recruit a certain number of young teachers under the age of 45 with doctoral degrees or associate professorships and significant achievements in related fields.
2. Using Research Projects as a Bond
The team is organized into different research groups, fostering both collaborative efforts and individual development, thereby building unified and centripetal force. Members are encouraged to choose specialized directions, engage in research, publish high-quality papers in top academic journals, publish monographs with renowned domestic and foreign publishers. They are also supported by this vibrant academic centre when applying for high-level vertical research projects and attending high-level academic conferences.
3. Balancing the Major and Other Disciplines
Planned and prioritized support is provided for corpus-based translation studies, cognitive studies of translation and interpreting, and the dissemination of Chinese literary and medical classicsto achieve balanced and joint development.
4. Accelerating the Optimization of the Team
Members are encouraged to pursue further education, academic degrees, titles and qualifications. They should also coordinate the realization and development of teaching, research, and social services, striving to create a virtuous cycle where these functions mutually reinforce each other.
5. Enhancing Academic Exchanges
Regularly invite renowned scholars from home and abroad to give lectures and organize academic seminars. Strengthen academic exchanges with experts and scholars in related research fields both domestically and internationally.
