描述翻译学中的工具理性反思

Reflections on Instrumental Reason of DTS

图瑞提出的描述翻译学以规范为基础,以法则为导向,其目的在于借助源语与译语文本对比析出规约翻译行为的普遍法则。为使描述翻译学成为一门无涉价值、可以实证的科学,图瑞采用了简化范式和分离范式构建其理论模型。这两种范式与图瑞在追求描述翻译学的科学性进程中形成的工具理性互为因果,而且把主体性等人文因素挤兑出翻译理论研究视域。翻译研究中追求科学性无可厚非,但其实现不应以牺牲主体性等人文因素为代价。

DTS is a norm-based, law-oriented theory proposed by Toury in the hope of formulating value-free universal laws governing translation behaviors out of the norms extracted from comparative analyses between STs and TTs. To make the DTS a science characterized by being value-free, verifiable, and objective, Toury adopted simplified and detached paradigms to formulate his model. The two paradigms, traceable to the instrumental reason that Toury established in pursuit of scientificness of research, exclude subjectivity out of translating process. This inevitably puts translators in a position of dilemma. The pursuit of scientificness in translation studies seems indisputable. However, such pursuit cannot be attained at the expense of humanity features.