After the Opium War in 1840, all schools of thoughts contended for attention in the theoretic study of translation in China. They all focused on whether the translation is an activity of science or an activity of artistry. The scientific approach of translation sprouted in the late Qing Dynasty when the free translation was in the dominant place. The artistic approach of translation was established through the further exploration of translation strategies and aesthetics. These two approaches had jointly formed the distinctive translation theory structure in modern China. The development of both “scientific approach” and “artistic approach” has not only helped to reform the society of modern China, but also promoted the variations of vernacular norms. Thus, the translation study in China went towards a systematic trend and gradually grew mature.