Methodology qua Methodology: Decoding Catford’s Translation Shifts in Xu Yuanchong’s Renditions of Shijing (The Book of Songs)

Abstract

This study pursues dual objectives: addressing critical gaps in both the application of Catford’s translation shifts and the methodological scope of Shijing translation research. Proposed in the last century, Catford’s taxonomy of translation shifts has been predominantly applied to Indo-European language pairs, focusing on linguistic transference between ST and TT. Its potential in Chinese-English translation practice remains underdeveloped. While Xu Yuanchong’s Shijing renditions have attracted substantial scholarly attention in recent decades, the prevailing analytical paradigm—over-reliant on the translator’s own ‘Three Beauties’ Theory—has inadvertently constrained methodological diversity in Shijing rendition studies. This paper explores the extent to which translation shifts are applied in C-E translation and inject fresh theoretical perspectives into domestic scholarship around Shijng renditions. The findings indicate that though translation shifts do explain phenomena and process in translating Shijing, yet prove inadequate in explicating translator’s intentions, concerning aesthetic design and cultural adaptation, which underscores the necessity of respecting theoretical boundaries: by allowing the methodology-focused framework to operate within its epistemological field, while establishing interdisciplinary connections with intention-oriented theories.