Translatological Dictionary Studies: a text linguistics perspective

Abstract

order to show how the seven criteria of textuality - cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality and intertextuality - (de Beaugrande and Dressler 1981) can be applied to translatological dictionary (TD) studies. The corpus is drawn from three authoritative and representative encyclopedias, namely, An Encyclopedia of Translation: Chinese-English English-Chinese (1995), Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (1998) and An International Encyclopedia of Translation Studies (2004), and the following three topics are discussed: (1) an understanding of TD and its research methodologies; (2) the theoretical basis and significance of the TD as text; and (3) the integration of the seven criteria of textuality into TD studies. The study finds that, firstly, among the various translatological dictionaries, the encyclopedia of translation studies is the one with a prototype nature and typical and representative characteristics. Secondly, TD studies can be considered as a discipline with an independent nature, including theoretical study, practical study and information technology application. Thirdly, the TD can be considered as a type of text, and one with its own features, significance, and functions. Fourthly, among the seven criteria of textuality of the TD as text, the criteria of acceptability, informativity and intertextuality are most important in distinguishing translatological dictionaries from bilingual dictionaries. Because of the technological factors, the complexity of context and the nature of TD studies proper, this study encountered limitations in conceptual and methodological aspects. Therefore, suggestions for future studies are proposed. It is suggested that the wide use of computer-aided tools and corpus studies and the approach of Context Toolkit and Proactive Translation Studies will inevitably promote the development of TD studies.