2021年12月，《咬文嚼字》和《中国新闻周刊》编辑部分别发布“2021年度十大流行语”，“百年未有之大变局”同时入选并居首位。直到今年这个词语依然持续走红。
2018年6月，习近平总书记在中央外事工作会议讲话中指出：“当前，我们处于近代以来最好的发展时期，世界处于百年未有之大变局，两者同步交织、相互激荡。”在这之前，他也曾表达过类似的说法，那是在2014年8月29日，习近平总书记主持中共中央政治局第十七次集体学习时指出：“在这个前所未有的大变局中，军事领域发展变化广泛而深刻，是世界大发展、大变革、大调整的重要内容之一。”
按照《现代汉语词典》的解释，“变局”的字面含义是“变动的局面”“非常的局面”，其中的“局”表“形势”“情况”或“局面”之意。从某种意义而言，任何形势变化都可以称作“变局”，形势发生根本性变化则可称作“大变局”，如果出现一百年、一千年来从未有过的新局面，那就是百年或千年未有之大变局。当今的大变局是人们对世界格局变化的认识概括，大变局之“变”有其自身的规律和逻辑，是从事实上一家独大的单极世界向协同共治的多极世界的转变，是现代化发展路径从一元走向多元的转变，也是社会主义从遭遇严重挫折向21世纪焕发蓬勃生机的转变。其中不乏地缘政治版图的变化，科技革命蓬勃力量的加持，还有厚积薄发的“中国崛起”等重大动因。
笔者一直关注着“百年未有之大变局”这个热词是如何被转译成英语的。国内英语媒体最简洁、最常见的译法为：profound changes unseen in a century，字面意思是“一个世纪内未曾见到过的深刻变化”。例如：
The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated shifts in the international landscape. The world has entered a period of turbulence and transformation.（中国日报2021.02.22）
Since 2017, President Xi has stressed on many occasions that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and entering a new period of turbulence and transformation.（中国国际电视台2022.07.25）
During the meeting with President Putin, President Xi stated that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is chaotic and intertwined; however, the profound friendship between China and Russia, built on generations of mutual support, will remain unchanged, as will our great power responsibilities to benefit our peoples.（环球时报2024.10.23）
此外，笔者也看到诸多大同小异的译法，例如，把“一个世纪”换成“一百年”；又如，以其他形容词替代“profound”，或把“changes”改成“transformations”等，但它们的基本涵义与国内官媒的上述译法是一致的。见下：
“At present, the world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years, the international situation is intertwined with chaos,”Xi told Putin in the Russian city of Kazan at the opening of the BRICS summit.（路透社2024.10.23）
“The world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years, the international situation is intertwined with chaos,” Xi said alongside Putin on Tuesday. “But I firmly believe that the friendship between China and Russia will continue for generations, and great countries’ responsibility to their people will not change.”（华盛顿邮报2024.10.22）
Xi congratulates U.S.-China Business Council on 50th anniversary. In the message, Xi said that the world is undergoing major transformation unseen in a century. Whether China and the United States can work hand in hand to tackle the challenges together concerns the interests of the two peoples and the future of humanity. （新华社2023.12.15）
Xi makes instructions on work of public communication, culture. Xi stressed that, in a new era and on a new journey, the evolution of changes with a magnitude unseen in a century is accelerating across the world. The Chinese nation has entered a critical period for its great rejuvenation with the juxtaposition of strategic opportunities as well as risks and challenges.（新华社2023.10.08）
Xi sends congratulatory letter to 2023 Pujiang Innovation Forum. In his letter, Xi noted that the world today is living through accelerating changes unseen in a century, and a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is gaining momentum.（新华社2023.09.10）
Xi pointed out that with the evolution of global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century, a new round of sci-tech revolutions and profound changes in military affairs is well underway. （新华网2023.07.25）
Xi meets with Henry Kissinger. Xi emphasized that the world is undergoing momentous transformations unseen in a century and the international landscape is going through major shifts. “China and the United States have once again come to a crossroads, which requires another decision by the two sides about where to go from here.”（新华网2023.07.20）
Perception of “The Great Transformations Once in a Century”（经济学研究论文数据库2021）
在结构上或形容词选择上稍有不同的译例甚多，浏览英语媒体时随手摘录了一些，见下：
the unprecedented changes unseen in a hundred years；the most profound and unprecedented changes in a century；a transformation the likes of which hasn’t happened for a century；with the evolution of global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century；a scale of changes unseen in a century；accelerated changes unseen in a century；once-in-a-century changes taking place in the world等。
2024年10月22日至24日，金砖国家峰会在俄罗斯喀山市召开，举世瞩目，尤其是中俄领导人会晤时说了些什么，外界特别关注。美联社、法新社、路透社等主流外媒不约而同地翻译了会晤中出现频率较高的“百年未有之大变局”这一关键词，其中，法新社和路透社的译文基本一样。前者为“The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century，...”，后者是“At present, the world is going through changes unseen in a hundred years,...”
唯独美联社别出心裁，用力甚猛，译成“Amid tectonic transformations unseen for centuries, the international situation is undergoing serious changes and upheavals...” Xi said.（习近平说：“当前，世界正处于百年未有之大变局，国际形势经历着激变动荡……”）
“tectonic”是形容词，与“地壳构造”相关，跟“transformations”搭配属于一种隐喻用法，相当于“earth-shaking changes（地震型变化）”的意思。如此翻译“大变局”，实属罕见。同时，后面又出现了“upheaval”这个与地质学、地理学相关的词语，意为“隆起、鼓起”。措辞夸张又“抓马”，给“大变局”徒增一股“地动山摇的气势（earth-shattering vibe）”。有些西方记者特别爱用“吸睛词汇（attention-grabbing words）”。还有一个细节值得玩味，美联社独树一帜，把“百年”译成复数“for centuries（数百年）”，以夸张手法定性某个事件，“放飞”有点儿过头，极易被认为其职业素养出了偏差。