Summary: Chinese translation company derived from the ancient royal translation garden in Tang Dynasty. After more than one-thousand-year development, what is the most characteristic feature of them and what is their future?
Chinese Translation company has a long history which can be traced back to Tang Dynasty, when translation business was flourishing, as Chinese emperors adhered to Buddhism transferred from India. In the mythological novel Journey to the West, in which is recounted the amazing adventures of the eminent monk Xuan Zang of the Tang Dynasty, we can find out some vestiges of Chinese translation company.
The three disciples of monk Xuan Zang converted to Buddhism, when they wanted to devote their whole lives to the journey, which indicated the translation career. Xuan Zang, who represents a freelance in translation circle, needs a company which takes charge of marketing and logistics guarantee. Therefore, the four Buddhists formed into a company, which was the origin of Chinese translation company.
If we take the ancient Chinese translation company as a group of intellectuals who cherish the same ideals with burning passion, the emergence of Chinese modern one mingles with more commercial elements. It is better to consider them as interest groups instead of service agencies. As Chinese translation company has more available translation experience of translating the native language into other languages as an advantage over the western counterparts. So, it’s a conventional stereotype that Chinese translation companies assume the responsibility for promoting Chinese language and culture abroad. As the government failed to establish a non-interest organization which accords the priority to the quality instead of the translation velocity, some commercial organizations appeared.
Actually, the common characteristic of a company is the greedy pursuit of maximum profits. Therefore, many Chinese translation companies fail to bear the responsibility of being a communication envoy between various cultures. Some Chinese translation companies have a floating number of part-time translators, they will endlessly scout and appoint language talents in China’s large human resource bank, because the initial pay is as low as possible. When they finish the hunt of new talents, they ditch the previous ones for saving the cost. Only the full-time pillar translators and proofreaders take charge of the crucial projects to guarantee their company’s reputation and survival.
As few Chinese Translation companies’ incentives to run a translation business are not making profits, competition in every aspect of translation industry is becoming fierce, utilitarianism is flooding. The profit margin of domestic translation industry is shrinking, therefore, Chinese translation companies are the best choice of the freelance translators. After all, translation is not a field for individual heroism, but a team work, due to the limitation of energy and time of single translator. So in modern translation company are there many derivatives positions, such as project management, translator scout, proofreading, quality review. History has proved eloquently that the division of translation project based on equality and cooperation between translation company and the translators constitutes the most reasonable and practical relationship. For example, they share the same specific glossary in a certain field.
Since the Tang Dynasty, it has passed more than one thousand years of feudal autocracy. But only one distinguishable character of Chinese translators remained unchanged ---- suffering without protests or complaints, which reflects in the fact that Chinese people revered to the dragon. Every full-time translator or interpreter shares a common stiff feature, in the result of long duration of desk work and field work.
In a word, the emergency of further cooperation, differentiation of translation work, and maintenance of dragon spirit will be accompanied with the Chinese translation companies.
