China has a long history in exploring translation criticism, but there are few contributions that deal with the theme systematically. On the Criticism of Literary Translation is one of the rare books to tackle the criticism of literary translation. It is an excellent contribution to Translation Studies in China as well as worldwide. Wang’s book is composed of nine chapters. The book begins with the “Introduction: Establishing the Conditions and Tentative Idea of the Criticism of Literary Translation,” which emphases the following points: the translated book(s), the fostering of critics, the study of the translated, publishing of the review, disputes between different schools, law-probing, and the establishment of the discipline. “Theoretical Preparation: From Literary Criticism to the Criticism of Literary Translation” discusses 1) the survey of the concept in Western literary criticism in preparation for the introduction of the concept, 2) examining the problems and train of thought of literary criticism by following the main issues and different schools in preparation for experience and reference, and 3) discussing the cultural origins and major traditions, as well as the merits and demerits in theory and practice of different schools, in order to lay a theoretical basis for establishing the new discipline. Chapter Three explores its nature, type and function. Wang feels that translation criticism (belonging to Translation Studies) is an aesthetic cognitive activity with empirical comprehension, which is cross-disciplinary. There are three types of criticism: for theorization, for creation and for translation. Moreover, translation criticism has the functions of reading guidance, quality evaluation and ideological guidance. The subjectivity, approaches and operational procedure of translation criticism are tackled in the following chapter. It argues that a critic should possess the following qualifications: knows both languages and cultures, possesses translation skills and appreciation, with literary taste, familiar with the original and translated texts, empathy and understanding, philosophical-minded, and polite. Wang maintains that criticism should be done through integrated approaches such as the blending of different aesthetic judgments and social values. Ten specific approaches are listed: close reading, sampling, comparative method, logic approach, quantitative method, interpretation, intertextuality, historical study, modeling, and evaluation. Wang’s operational procedure is then presented: reading of the original, reading of the translation, comparative study, effect evaluation, value judgment, and angle of commentary. Chapter Five deals with the principle, the criterion and grading system of translation criticism. The general principles are objectivity, wholeness, accuracy, economy, and consistency. Based on traditional Chinese criteria such as “faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance,” “alike in both spirit and form” and “sublimation,” Wang proposes that the working criterion should consider the following: language, inclination, tension, gender, style and taste. Wang, just as he sets three grades for creation criterion and effect evaluation: excellent, good and awkward, also sets three grades for translation criterion and effect evaluation: excellent, good and awkward. He also sets three supplementary criteria for the grades of translation: whether the translated version is innovative and creative in method; whether it merges and blazes new idea in language use; and whether it stimulates theoretical enlightenment in translation. “Text, Style and Intertextuality of Translation Criticism” constitutes the central part of literary translation criticism. Wang divides the style into primary type (such as novel, prose, poetry, and drama), secondary type (such as epic, biography prose poem, words of song, and poetic drama), and meta-language: literature theory in translation. The intertextuality means that it is because of the translation issue of intertextuality that the translated product, when entering the literary history of the target language, brings the shadow of the original all along. And the target – reader’s reading process shows a gloomy figure – the translator, the …