Translation as Intercultural Communication

The paper mainly deals with the major factors and players involved in the translating process, moving translation from a static linguistic phenomenon to being considered as an act of intercultural communication, with the translator's role as communicator being particularly emphasized. Using simplified models to illustrate complex phenomenon is a distinctive feature of the present paper. And readers may find strong natural links between those proposed models. Concepts such as communication, translation, and intercultural communication become more visualized as a result of this modeling way of presentation. A communication-oriented approach to translation is advocated in this paper. Important ideas in this paper such as "translating as translational interaction", "translating as interpersonal interaction" and "translating as intercultural action" are developed on the premise that all translating activities are considered to be acts of intercultural communication. The author also delves into implications of cultural factors in the decision-making process of translating, admitting the importance of cultural factors, but arguing that cultural factors should not become a primary concern of translators in fulfilling their job.