1 Introduction

Under the background of globalization and technological advancement, translation practice faces complex ethical challenges, and traditional ethical concepts are being questioned. The Lauterbach Handbook of Translation and Ethics, edited by Koskinen and Bocconi, brings together 38 scholars and 31 chapters to comprehensively describe the current status of global translation ethics research, covering topics such as translation education, industry, and ethical pressures, and has academic and practical value.

Introduction to the Content of Manual 2

The introduction section of the Handbook divides the 30 chapters into four parts, exploring translation ethics from the perspectives of theory, subject, institution, and new business models. The first part focuses on the theoretical level and summarizes the ethical theories of translation in both Western and Chinese contexts, including virtue ethics, functionalism, heterosexuality ethics, etc. It also analyzes the ethical concepts behind theories such as linguistic hospitality, postcolonialism, and feminism from a meta ethical perspective. The second part explores the ethical dilemmas faced by translators in different translation scenarios from the perspective of the subject, including professional ethics, literary translation ethics, interpretation and translation ethics, and analyzes the impact of technology on translation subjects. The third part discusses ethical issues in the translation industry, industry, education, and research institutions from the perspective of institutions, including translation ethics education, translation industry ethics, and translation research ethics. The fourth part focuses on translation ethics under new business models, analyzing the ethical challenges of translation practices in new contexts such as global migration, international conflicts, and language hegemony, as well as ethical issues in new business models such as religious text translation and literary translation.

The Academic Value and Writing Characteristics of the Handbook

The Handbook integrates the research results of translation ethics, outlines the overall situation of the field, and deepens the understanding of translation ethics. Its comprehensive characteristics are reflected in the systematic introduction of mainstream scholars' research on translation ethics, covering multiple topics such as literature, religion, conference interpretation, public service ethics, and exploring new propositions brought by new formats such as subtitle translation and dubbing translation. At the same time, the book pays special attention to non Eurocentrism and invites Chinese scholars to write some chapters to showcase the research status of other countries. The Handbook divides translation ethics research into meta translation ethics research, descriptive translation ethics research, and translation ethics application research, and draws an overall picture of this field.

4 inspirations for domestic translation ethics research

Domestic research on translation ethics needs to be strengthened, including deepening ethical research for language services and the translation industry, strengthening translation ethics education and ethical research in translation education, as well as exploring local resources and constructing a theoretical discourse system for translation ethics in China. The current translation practice is characterized by marketization and commercialization, with multiple stakeholders participating in the production of translation products. The boundaries of ethical norms in translation have expanded, and traditional ethical concepts are no longer applicable. Although scholars in China have conducted research, it is necessary to propose a more targeted framework for translation ethics research, develop refined industry ethics, regulate the behavior and relationships of multiple subjects, and define the rights and obligations of translators. The prerequisite for the industrialization of translation is the professionalization of translators, and the cultivation of professional translators' ethical literacy relies on translation teaching. It is necessary to strengthen research on translation ethics and teaching related issues. There is limited research on the ethics of translation teaching in China, and there has been no exploration of ethical issues in the education of translation and interpretation techniques. It is necessary to explore traditional Chinese translation ethics and combine them with the current practice of Chinese cultural translation and foreign discourse system construction to develop a local translation ethics discourse system.

5 Conclusion

As the first work in global translation ethics research, the Handbook has an important exemplary role, broadening research perspectives and promoting disciplinary development. Despite overlapping content and limited exploration of certain research topics, as well as geographical limitations of authors and literature sources, these issues have not obscured its positive contribution to the study of translation ethics. The publication of the Handbook is expected to attract more scholars' attention to this field and promote its development. Chinese scholars should have a deep understanding of Western theories, and at the same time, combine their own practices to explore traditional Chinese translation ethics and construct a translation ethics research system with Chinese characteristics.