Terms with xing (性) in Translation Studies: Phenomenon and Its Analysis

There have appeared a series of terms in the Chinese translation studies, of which, the terms with xing (性, attribute/ property/ nature) are most commonly used. However, conflicts ensue: are there any differences between “translatability” and “faithfulness” with xing or not? Why do the researchers prefer the terms with xing? What’s at play for the terms from English to Chinese to take xing? It is found that the terms with xing always come along with the discussions of the essence of translation as the principal line. They are either loaned and accepted in different Chinese translation studies dictionaries or coined and appeared in the titles of some articles. Under the conditions of disagreements on the essence of translation, the terms with xing are used more frequently with imprecison. Though some of them are coined for innovation, others are used arbitrarily. In this light, this article sorts them out by analysing their different semantic relations and categories, and clarifying their scopes of application. It is expected that the findings will contribute to the sound development of Chinese translation studies as a discipline.