Translator's Selections in Knowledge Translation—Exemplified by the Local Generation and Global Circulation of Caus- words

Causality has been a hot topic in scientific research in the era of data science in the 21^st century.From the perspective of knowledge translation, the English caus- words are examined to find out how they were locally generated in Western Europe in the 13-18^th centuries before being translated and recirculated in East Asia in the 19-20^th century.Translation is found to be involved in the local generation of both "yinguo" and caus- words.Though widely used since 1906, "yinguo**", the Chinese equivalent of the caus- words, remains different from caus- words in terms of construal dimensions, pragmatic flexibility, and sheer number.The ancient Mohist concept of "minggu", literally meaning "to shed light on the causes" and more similar to caus- words, offers an alternative translation.Finally, the author summarizes the features of concept translation process:trial and error, and non-reversibility, as well as two criteria for translator's selection of translations:similar construal levels and acceptability, with the ultimate goal of facilitating future knowledge production and conceptual innovation.