As different connecting means in Chinese and English, parataxis and hypotaxis have always been the focus of discussion and research by Chinese and foreign scholars. This pair of concepts has been studied for a long time, and after years of supplement and improvement, the concepts of parataxis and hypotaxis have been very mature and widely used in the translation practice of various styles. Therefore, the authors give an overview of the research on parataxis and hypotaxis from the aspects of the proposal, development and application of the concepts. Apart from that, the authors also analyze the reasons of parataxis and hypotaxis from the following two perspectives: (1) grammar and syntax, (2) culture and thinking modes. Through this study, the authors hope to further improve the accuracy and fluency of translation between Chinese and English based on theories of parataxis and hypotaxis, and also hope to find some reasonable explanations to the Chinese and Western cultural conflicts.