言意之辨与象意之合——试论汉诗英译中的言象意关系

The Relationship of Yan (Language), Xiang (Image) and Yi (Meaning) and Its Implications for C-E Translation of Poems

言、象、意作为中国古代哲学和诗学的核心范畴其关系定位代表了中国古代的语言哲学和诗学理念,从最初"言"和"象"这两种分别代表着概念思维和象思维的符号体系彼此独立,到逐渐携手共同服务于"意"的表达,在这个发展脉络的背后"言不尽意"这一语言哲学观念充当着促使象表述加入言表述的主要理据。以象表述作为诗性表述特征的中国古典诗歌在翻译成具有强言表述特征的英语时,翻译者面临着两种表述方式的取舍,同时也就会相应地影响到言象意之间的关系。

Yah （language）, xiang （image） andyi （meaning） are three key categories in classical Chinese philosophy and poetics. Initially, yah and xiang were deemed to be independent of each other and to embody respectively two distinctive modes of thinking, i.e., the conceptual and the imagistic thinking. However, they have finally merged into each other to serve the expression ofyi （meaning）. What has motivated the participation ofxiang in the expression ofyi is the philosophical notion that meaning （yi） is always in excess of verbalization （yah）. When mapped onto the verbalization-dominated English in C-E translation of ancient Chinese poems, the relationship of the three elements is liable to undergo a re-alignment.