Abstract: Back translation has narrow and broad senses. Narrow back translation refers to translation back to the original texts, while in the sense, it also means translation back to the original culture. Not all translation works can be regarded as back translation; only the translation works of Sinological literature and the nonnative language writings can be called back translation. There are three different situations when the translators do their job:translate the source texts back into the source language;translate back into the source language with no real source texts but the culture as reference;translate back into source text without finding the original texts. Back translation plays a supporting role in language research, translation studies, and language teaching. The greatest significance of back translation is that the eastern countries may receive some gift from the western culture by back translating the Sinological literature, and the western countries may be given some gift of the eastern culture in the process of back translation on the original cultural writings with foreign language.

Key words: text back translation, textless back translation, Sinological literature, cultural gift, language research