On the afternoon of October 29, 2025, the “Distinguished Lecture” of the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) at Northwest University specially invited Professor Zhang Zheng from Northwestern Polytechnical University/Beijing Normal University to deliver an academic lecture titled “A Millennium of Westernization-Oriented Translation and Chinese Culture”. Presided over by Su Rui, Associate Dean of SFL, the lecture attracted the participation of many teachers and students.
In the lecture, Professor Zhang Zheng first emphasized that solid basic knowledge, broad academic perspective, keen observational and judgmental abilities, and profound cultural accomplishment are indispensable basic qualities for young teachers. Subsequently, he got to the point. Combining his own cultural and educational practices, he took Buddhist scripture translation as the entry point and conducted an in-depth analysis of how translation activities have profoundly influenced, changed, and even constructed Chinese culture in history. Professor Zhang specifically elaborated that Buddhist scripture translation has enriched the vocabulary of the Chinese language, increased the number of four-character idioms, contributed to the formation of the four tones of Chinese phonology, improved the flashy style and gorgeous expressions of parallel prose in the Six Dynasties period, influenced the development of vernacular Chinese, and even literary works as well as the political and cultural pattern of the tripartite confrontation of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are closely related to Buddhist scripture translation.
At the end of the lecture, Professor Zhang Zheng conducted an interactive Q&A session with teachers and students, focusing on cultural transformation and contemporary value in translation practice, and the on-site discussion atmosphere was enthusiastic. In her summary, Associate Dean Su Rui pointed out that this lecture provided cutting-edge academic perspectives and research paths for teachers and students of the school, and deepened their understanding of the cultural mission and contemporary responsibility of the translation discipline.
Lecture Site
Professor Zhang Zheng Gave a Lecture
Associate Dean Su Rui Hosted the Lecture
Group Photo After the Lecture
School Homepage
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