On April 3, Professor Li Xuetao, Dean of the School of History and Dean of the Institute form Global History at Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Academician of the Leopoldina gave a lecture titled “Translation History as a Specialized History” at the School of Foreign Studies (SFS), Nankai University. The lecture was organized by the Nankai University Center for Area Studies. The Dean Professor Yan Guodong, attended and delivered opening remarks. Faculty members and students from SFS and other schools attended the event.
During the lecture, Professor Li Xuetao discussed the definition of translation, the role of translation in history, and translation history as a specialized field. He explored the methodological significance and disciplinary positioning of translation history studies in contemporary humanities. By situating translation within the historical processes of knowledge migration and cultural formation, he proposed that translation is a mechanism of meaning reproduction, shapes knowledge structures, and participates in history writing. Translation history is not merely a subsidiary field but the study of specialized history. History is transmitted through language and translation, and translation constitutes a form of knowledge power. Chinese scholars today face the challenge of participating in global knowledge production and avoiding the dominance of a single language. Translation history studies are not only an academic issue but also a strategic disciplinary concern. Therefore, studying translation history as a specialized history is key to re-understanding how China enters world history.
In the Q&A session, faculty and students asked questions and exchanged ideas with Professor Li Xuetao. Professor Li Xuetao responded with insightful answers, and participants noted that they benefited greatly. The lecture concluded successfully.
