“Benign Westernization” vs. “Illegitimate Westernization”: The Linguistic Subjectivity Boundary in Yu Kwang-Chung’s Translation Philosophy —A Translation Ethics Centered on the Chinese Language Subjectivity

Abstract

In the current informational era marked by the proliferation of so-called AI-assisted “Democratization of Translation” and the disorderly translation practices prevalent in new media, the field of translation faces new practical challenges. Grounded on the framework of translation ethics, this paper reinterprets the core connotation of Yu Kwang-chung’s concept of “Benign Westernization.” It introduces the notion of a “Linguistic Subjectivity Boundary.” which is delineated by a dual matric: the bottom line of “readability” and the upper line of “aesthetic elasticity.” The essence of Yu’s translation ethics entails the translators, as agents, anchoring themselves in Chinese subjectivity, seeking a dynamic balance among the three responsibilities of “fidelity to the source text, guardianship of the target language, and accessibility for readers.” This ethical thought provides a pathway of methodology characterized by-“pre-translation assessment, intra-translation transformation, and post-translation revision,” which emphasizes that no technology can replace the translator’s native language proficiency and awareness of cultural subjectivity. To Revive “Benign Westernization” is a response to the chaotic phenomenon of malignant westernization, and also a conscious return to reconstructing a healthy Chinese linguistic ecology and safeguarding the consciousness of Chinese cultural subjectivity in the digital age.