「格義」一詞，最早出自梁《高僧傳‧竺法雅》的「雅乃與康法朗等以經中事數，擬配外書，為生解之例，謂之格義。」然而以「格義」作為佛典翻譯方法，其定義與操作模式並非由始至終都一成不變，也不單是許多學者認為的「是魏晉南北朝譯經者運用老莊學說翻譯佛經的現象」，更不是到了鳩摩羅什之後就完全沒了蹤跡。佛教翻譯史上的「格義」，從緣起到全盛到被排擠到邊陲到格義變異再生的過程，跟圖里和切斯特曼的翻譯規範理論幾乎同出一輒。圖里的研究將翻譯規範共分三類，即先決規範、預備規範和操作規範。先決規範是大時代的背景條件；預備規範是翻譯行為開始前影響譯者的宏觀因素，譯者對文本類型的選擇、翻譯行為的直接度都受此制約；操作規範是影響譯者在執行翻譯實務的微觀因素，包括母體規範和篇章譯語規範。切斯特曼認為圖里的理論並不完整，因此另加一項專業規範，以及可能促成規範質變的期待規範。這兩位翻譯家認為規範具有變動性，會不斷互相競爭流動；因此，本研究擬以他二人提出的描述性翻譯研究做為理論工具，探討佛教翻譯史上「格義」方法的成住壞易四個階段，釐清前人對「格義」翻譯的迷思。

The phrase “geyi,” first found in The Memoirs of Eminent Monks of the Liang Dynasty, is literally referred to as “categorizing concepts”. The quotation reads “(Zhu Fa) ya, with Kang Falang and others, correlated the enumerations of items (shishu 事數) in the sutras with non-Buddhist writings as instances of lively explication; this was called “categorizing concepts” (geyi).” (Mair, 2011, p. 231) However, as a method of translating Buddhist sutras, geyi is ever evolving. It is not as it is understood by most scholars, that is, “translators use Taoist terms to translate Buddhist scriptures during Wei-Jin and the Northern and Southern Dynasties.” Moreover, such translation norms did not even died out after the death of Kumarajiva. In the history of Chinese Buddhist translation, the evolution of the geyi translation method is found to function in almost the same way as Toury’s and Chesterman’s theory of translation norms. Toury’s translation norms are comprised of three categories, namely, initial norms, preliminary norms, and operational norms. Initial norms have much to do with the cultural background of a particular period. Preliminary norms are macro factors that constrain the choice of texts and the directness of translation even before the work of translation begun. Operational norms are micro factors that include matrix norms and textual-linguistic norms. Chesterman felt Toury’s theory to be incomplete, and therefore, added a fourth category: professional norms, as well as the expectancy norms that may trigger a change in the norm. Both Toury and Chesterman believed that norms are ever changing and constantly competing with each other. Therefore, with the help of the theory of translation norms, this paper aims to explore how the geyi translation approach evolved in the four stages, and to clarify other misconceptions regarding geyi translation norms.