Abstract: Following the intersection of translation studies and sociology in the 1990s, the sociology of translation, also called “sociological translation studies” in China, emerged in the West as one of the most significant developments in either discipline. In the past two decades, Western translation scholars, inspired by the sociology of science, have explored questions relating to the sociology of translation studies, including the causation of the two disciplines’ intersection, the position of translation in the social sciences, and the relationship between translation studies and sociology. Through a critical review of primary research literature, this paper finds that they reveal far-reaching impact of disciplinary power imbalance on the relationship between translation studies and sociology and contribute to their cross-fertilization and reciprocal cooperation, while reflecting a scholarly anxiety about raising the status of translation studies. It also suggests avenues for further exploration by Chinese scholars, i.e., adopting the perspective of the sociology of science, exploring the position of translation in Chinese social sciences, and facilitating the intersection and cooperation between translation studies and sociology in China.