Title: Textual Hybridity and Zero-translation

Abstract: Zero-translation, since its creation, has been in constant contention. The relevant literature review reveals a reductionist trend in the connotation of the term, with the narrowest theorization defining it as the transference of a semiotic sign from the source text into the target text in an intact form. This understanding, despite its rationality to a certain extent, does not take into account the complexity of translation. This paper gives a further exploration of the concept in terms of texttype, hybridity of the source text and translation direction, and argues that zero-translation, being the transference of the source form, should not interfere with the norms and habit of the target language nor deny the roles of the translator’s subjectivity.

Keywords: zero-translation, text type, language norms, translator’s subjectivity

Author: Xueming Wang, Associate Professor, School of International Studies, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China; Lanxin Li, School of International Studies, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China.