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Inside China's Professional Translation Market offers a groundbreaking empirical analysis of how translation quality is managed in China's rapidly evolving professional translation industry.
By treating translation as both a textual product and a professional service, the study uncovers the unique challenges posed by China's fragmented standards and lack of institutionalized QA norms. Through six in-depth case studies of Chinese translation companies, the book identifies two dominant quality assurance (QA) models-procedure-based and expert-oriented systems-and reveals how these frameworks operate in real-world practice.
Combining qualitative interviews with quantitative textual analysis, the research bridges the gap between academia and industry, providing actionable insights into translator selection, revision processes, and client-specific QA adaptations. A dedicated section examines the growing but uneven impact of AI tools on China's market, contrasting technological efficiency gains with the enduring need for human expertise in complex tasks.
Designed for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, this book advances theoretical debates on translation quality while proposing pragmatic solutions to elevate professional standards. Its evidence-based approach makes it an indispensable resource for understanding China's translation industry-and a catalyst for improving QA practices globally.
List of contents
Preface
List of Tables
List of Abbreviations
Chapter 1: Introduction-Translation as a Product in the Translation Market
Chapter 2: The Chinese Translation Market
Chapter 3: Translation Quality in Translation Studies
Chapter 4: Research Design and Approach
Chapter 5: Real-World Applications of Quality Assurance
Chapter 6: Quality Assurance in the Chinese Translation Market
Index
About the author
Youru Zhou is Assistant Professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, China.
