“Eco” and “Adaptation-Selection” in Eco-Translatology Explained

“ E co” and “adaptation-selection” are two key terms in eco-translatology. “Eco” can be seen as the primary focus of eco-translatology, and it is also the growth point of researches in eco-translatology. “Adaptation-selection” is the theoretical backbone and also the modus operandi of eco-translatology. A proper understanding of these two terms is crucial to the study of eco-translatology. The terms “eco,” “adaptation,” and “selection” (or “choice-making”) have already been used in ecocriticism and Verschueren’s theory of linguistic adaptation and, consequently, had exerted a far-reaching influence in academic circles long before the birth of eco-translatology (cf. Note 4). So, what are the similarities and differences between the “eco” in eco-translatology and the “eco” in ecocriticism? And what are the similarities and differences between the “adaptation-selection” in eco-translatology and the “adaptation” and “selection” (“choice-making”) in Verschueren’s theory of linguistic adaptation? This chapter attempts a contrastive approach to the two key terms, “eco” and “adaptation-selection,” trying to shed light on the nuances of the two terms when used in different fields. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.