1 Introduction

This article outlines the development process of China's research on Western translation theory, from initial translation to the stage of integration and innovation, emphasizing the growth of critical and reflective research and the enhancement of theoretical innovation awareness. The article collects and analyzes literature data, uses CiteSpace software for visualization analysis, explores the research progress and influence of the three major schools of translation studies in China, and compares the research characteristics and hotspots at home and abroad, aiming to provide epistemological and methodological references for the domestic academic community to more rationally evaluate and draw on Western translation theory resources.

2. Overall research trend analysis

From 2011 to 2021, the study of translation theory in China and the West has shown a slow downward trend, characterized by "equal emphasis on learning and reflection", "synchronization of integration and construction", and "return and innovation complement". From 2011 to 2014, influenced by the trend of introducing Western translation theories and focusing on postmodern trends, scholars began to delve into the concepts and terminology of Western translation theories. After 2015, the enthusiasm for research cooled down, and scholars turned to local areas to seek a balance between Chinese and Western cultures. Liu Jingguo, Guo Jianzhong, Tan Zaixi, and others proposed the idea of integrating Chinese and Western cultures and constructing rationality. In recent years, research has emphasized the "return" to traditional philosophy, aesthetic thinking, and the "innovation" of local translation studies. For example, Meng Fanjun and Tan Zaixi advocate the integration of ancient and modern, and the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Ecological translation studies have made progress in theoretical system innovation. Overall, the research has shifted from simple introduction to absorption, reference, and reflection, proposing insights on constructing a local translation system, reflecting theoretical consciousness and innovative thinking in the context of globalization.

3. Analysis of overall research hotspots and characteristics

Through the visualization analysis of literature keywords using CiteSpace software, the characteristics and current hotspots of translation studies in China and the West have been revealed. High frequency keywords include "machine translation," "translation studies," "translation ethics," "translation technology," and "literary translation," reflecting the research hotspots of the past decade. Through mutation detection calculations, it was found that the hot keywords in the early stage include "deconstructionism" and "uncertainty", while in the middle stage they include "translation criticism" and "globalization". In the later stage, they focus on information technology fields such as "machine translation" and "artificial intelligence". Research shows that both domestic and Western translation studies focus on the disciplinary development, paradigm shifts, and interdisciplinary communication of translation studies at the ontological level; In terms of methodology, it emphasizes the instrumental characteristics of translation activities; In epistemology, explore the social and ethical issues of translation. The development of modern translation studies presents characteristics such as interdisciplinary research, revision and expansion of translation studies frameworks, and discussions on national characteristics. Translation technology research has shown phased characteristics with the development of information technology, from computer-aided translation to artificial intelligence and deep learning. Translation ethics research focuses on the relationship between translation activities and ethical issues, but domestic research mostly stays at the stage of introduction and evaluation, and is skeptical of the "ethical turn" in the West. Other fields such as translation teaching, translation criticism, and social translation studies have also shown new characteristics, such as the localization of teaching models, multidimensional changes in criticism, and the rapid development of social translation studies.

4. Research progress and characteristics of various schools of thought

In the past decade, Western translation studies have made significant progress in the linguistic, cultural, and philosophical schools in China. The research of the linguistic school continues to be active, with 150 articles, among which systemic functional linguistics and cognitive linguistics are particularly prosperous, and research continues to deepen. Corpus translation studies have become a research hotspot and have gone through a process from introduction to innovation. The research of the cultural school remained prosperous from 2011 to 2014, but the number of publications decreased afterwards, and domestic scholars tended to focus more on localized research. In the philosophical school, hermeneutics and deconstructionism are the main research paths, but the influence of deconstructionism has weakened to some extent. Overall, the research of linguistic schools remains vibrant in China, while the influence of cultural schools has declined but their criticality has increased. Hermeneutics continues to be important in philosophical schools, while deconstructionism faces challenges.

Comparative analysis of 5 domestic and foreign research hotspots

Explored a comparative analysis of the hot topics in translation studies in China and internationally from 2011 to 2021. Research has found that domestic studies are influenced by traditional research paradigms and focus more on translation studies along philosophical and linguistic paths, while international translation studies are rapidly developing in fields such as translation and globalization, legal translation, and audiovisual translation. The domestic academic community has paid insufficient attention to these topics, due to differences in social contexts between China and the West, as well as the sensitivity of some topics in the domestic context. In the same research hotspot field, there are also differences in the focus of domestic and foreign research. For example, in literary translation research, foreign countries pay more attention to the complexity of the translator's identity, while domestic research focuses on the quality and reception effect of the translation. In terms of interpreting research, China focuses on cognitive processing and professionalization, while abroad studies the ideological issues of interpreting. In the field of translation technology, domestic research has begun to explore high-tech topics such as brain computer interfaces and blockchain technology, showing a trend that surpasses international standards.

6 Reflection and Prospect

In the past decade, China's research on Western translation theory has become more calm and objective, and scholars have begun to creatively transform and construct translation discourse with Chinese characteristics in their local contexts. However, there are misconceptions in epistemology and methodology in the research. Future research should deepen the understanding of core concepts, unify the use of terminology, rationally recognize the interdisciplinary trend of translation studies, dialectically examine the relationship between theory and practice, and correct the understanding of Western translation theory, clarifying the connotation and construction path of "Chinese characteristic translation theory". The academic community should maintain a rational examination of Western translation theories, critically inherit and transform traditional translation theories, and promote the harmonious development of domestic translation studies research.