Borrowing words from foreign languages through transliteration or semantic translation is an international norm. English has borrowed words from Chinese. Tea, coolie and kungfu are older examples, whilst guanxi (connection) and taikongnaut (astronaut) are more recent additions. In no situation have I ever seen, nor do I expect ever to see, Chinese characters jumbled into the English text of an official document or a serious publication in Britain or the United States. They are always spelled out in pinyin or using the Roman alphabet.

But some Chinese texts reproduce foreign words without translating them into Chinese, a worrisome trend, which, if it continues, will jeopardize the integrity of Chinese characters. It is understandable that in the early days of China’s reform and opening-up some Chinese publications directly quoted a few English words so as to reflect readiness to learn from the outside world: given the circumstances then such a practice could indicate China’s progress. It is also understandable if an editor is unable to find an appropriate translation before the press deadline and has to resort to inserting the original foreign word into the Chinese text. However, we cannot isolate our judgments from the context of a particular time. What is fashionable today looks the opposite tomorrow. U.S. President Truman posing with a pipe in his mouth and President Kennedy with a cigarette in his hand were seen as smart back in their time, but President Obama, also a smoker, is never seen smoking in public because to do so is thought unacceptable today.

Translating loanwords into Chinese not only helps enrich and rejuvenate Chinese, but also functions to maintain the nature and integrity of this ancient language.

In China, the time has gone when driving a car with black plates indicated the superior social status of a handsomely paid senior employee of a foreign enterprise. Today, the prestige of these black plates has been obscured by the millions of private cars running on China’s roads. In the past, Chinese manufacturers were copiers of modern products, but today they have developed into product innovators. Given this new context, can the slavish copying of foreign words in the Chinese text symbolize progress?

How can it be labeled “anti-foreign” and “retrogressive” to translate a foreign word into Chinese before using it in a Chinese publication? To do so is simply to follow international norms. Translating loanwords into Chinese not only helps enrich and rejuvenate Chinese, but also functions to maintain the nature and integrity of this ancient language.

As a career translator, I believe that nothing is untranslatable, either transliteration or semantic translation, literal translation or explanatory translation. The more experience one accrues in the profession, the more responsive one becomes to foreign cultures and the more willing to follow international norms. If the foreign word will do, what is the point of the translator?

That said, the conscientious translators should consider the convenience of the audience by rendering foreign words into readily comprehensible Chinese equivalents that are memorable and easy to write. Good examples are kekou kele (tasty and pleasant) for Coca-Cola and guangpan (light disc) for CD.

In the course of the debate, I have been struck by the sensitivity of mainstream English-language media overseas to this issue. More than one article I’ve read refers to foreign concern that China wants to reduce the number of English words appearing in Chinese texts. Could this be another way of trying to maintain linguistic influence and expand the boundaries of the English-speaking world?

HUANG YOUYI, vice chairman and secretary-general of the Translators’ Association of China, and vice president of the International Federation of Translators.