The Development of Translation in China: A Review of the Past Five Years (2020-2025)

Abstract
Against the backdrop of globalization, the "Belt and Road" Initiative, and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, China's translation industry and academic research have undergone profound transformations over the past five years. This paper systematically examines the development trajectory of China's translation field from 2020 to 2025, covering five core dimensions: industrial scale expansion and structural diversification, multi-language technological integration, talent cultivation system optimization, academic research hotspots, and institutional mechanism construction. Based on data from industry reports issued by the Translators Association of China (TAC) and academic literature analysis, the study reveals that China's translation field has achieved steady growth in industrial output value (reaching 708 billion yuan in 2024) and talent scale (680.8 million practitioners), with artificial intelligence technology becoming a key driving force. Meanwhile, the shift from "translating the world" to "translating China" has deepened, and the construction of a multi-level talent training system covering general, non-common, and specialized languages has taken shape. However, challenges such as uneven translation quality, insufficient high-end and non-common language talent supply, and the need for legal safeguards remain. The paper concludes that the future development of China's translation field will focus on high-quality and multi-dimensional development, with the integration of technology and professionalism, and the improvement of international communication effectiveness as core directions.

Keywords
Translation Industry; Multi-language Development; Artificial Intelligence; Talent Cultivation; International Communication

Cite this paper
Liu Zhuo, The Development of Translation in China: A Review of the Past Five Years (2020-2025) , SCIREA Journal of Sociology. Volume 9, Issue 6, December 2025 | PP. 348-363. 10.54647/sociology841489

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