Translation Zones in Modern China: Authoritarian Command Versus G ...

in English. This is by no means universal: one out of three languages uses the same formal means for both reflexivity and reciprocity. Differentiation between the two possible interpretations is then typically achieved by number marking, by the addition of specific adverbials which exclude a reflexive interpretation, and by the inherent properties of verbs. Reciprocal interpretations require a plurality of participants; adverbs such as the German gegenseitig (“mutually”) exclude a reflexive interpretation; and there are certain (other-directed) verbs that strongly suggest a reciprocal interpretation, whereas other (i.e., self-directed) verbs strongly favor a reflexive one. The following examples show the difference:

4. Les professeurs de l’institut s’admirent. (reciprocal or reflexive)

5. Le professeur s’admire. (reflexive)

6. Les professeurs s’admirent mutuellement. (reciprocal)⁴⁶

These findings suggest that reciprocity can be expressed in a variety of ways, but languages share a common ability to recognize and express the concept. They also suggest that a key attribute of reciprocity in linguistics is symmetry, in contrast with new studies by anthropologists which investigate asymmetrical reciprocity.

The Concept of Reciprocity in Translation Studies

The usefulness of reciprocity as an analytical tool has not been neglected in translation studies, although it may not have been used to its best advantage. Although it seems obvious that between any two entities there is in principle the potential for a reciprocal relationship, not all relationships between two entities are reciprocal. For example, a recent paper by Tan Zaixi and Shao Lu asserts the existence of “cultural reciprocity” between a translated text and its translation on the basis of three factors, only one of which seems to be a case of reciprocity as it is commonly understood.⁴⁷ The term then disappears from the argument and reappears only in the conclusion.⁴⁸ It is not clear that the concept of reciprocity adds any meaning in this context; it seems to be only a rough synonym