This dissertation is a comparative study of "translation theory" and "translation studies" in China and the West. Its focus is to investigate whether there is translation theory in the Chinese tradition. My study begins with an examination of the debate in China over whether there has already existed a system of translation studies with Chinese characteristics. Centering on the debate, Chinese scholars of translation studies have split into two groups with opposite opinions. The first group that adopts an affirmative stance claims that the continuum of "Following the Source--Seeking Faithfulness--Spiritual Similarity--Supreme Realm" has already formed a systematic study of its own, therefore could be viewed as "translation studies with Chinese characteristics." The other group who rejects the idea argues that there is no need for proposing "translation studies with Chinese characteristics," because an over-emphasis on "Chinese characteristics" would confine the research topics of Chinese scholars inside national borders and consequently block the interaction between translation studies in China and the West. To assess the pros and cons of the debate, my study first reviews the history of translation studies in the Western and Chinese traditions and re-maps theories of translation studies in the West into a conceptual framework for my study. Then, my study examines several features of the Chinese language and conducts a linguistic analysis of translation between Chinese and English. To extend my critical and scholarly investigation, my study then turns to a linguistic analysis of several Chinese poems translated into English with the aim to see to what extent Chinese poetry is or is not translatable. The insights obtained from the linguistic analysis suggest that the proposal of "translation studies with Chinese characteristics" is a topic that requires more systematic and in-depth research in the future. Therefore, I have drawn a tentative conclusion: there is a Chinese theory of translation in the Chinese tradition, but the claim to a full-fledged translation studies with Chinese characteristics does not stand on solid ground because the existing system is conceptually weak and lacks adequate supporting research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]