《孙子兵法》复译中的文化误读与译者身份之辨——基于副文本描述的Minford译本个案研究

On Cultural Misreading and Translator Identity in the Retranslation of The Art of War——A Case Study Based on the Descriptive Analysis of the Paratexts of John Minford's Version

《孙子兵法》英语复译本在"中学西传"中发挥了无可替代的关键作用。由于中西方文化差异的存在,西方译者对中国文化进行解读时不可避免地会出现误读。任何的误读形式都与译者身份密切相关。就《孙子兵法》Minford译本而言,译者采取的有意识误读的翻译策略是由其多重文化政治身份所决定的。本文尝试从文化社会学的"文化误读"概念入手,基于对Minford译本副文本的描述与解释,探讨"文化误读"与"译者身份"之间的内在联系,从而提出译者对源文本的误读反映了译者本人及译者所属群体的社会心理及意识形态观念。

The retranslation of The Art of War plays a key role in transmitting Chinese learning to the West. However, lack of knowledge of Chinese culture and an inadequate understanding of Chinese written language have led the translators from the western countries into misreading. The forms of misreading the translators have adopted are closely related to translator identities. As far as John Minford＇ s version of The Art of War is concerned, the translation strategy of conscious misreading the translator has followed is determined by his multiplex cultural and political identity. By drawing our attention to the description and interpretation of the paratexts of John Minford＇ s version, this paper explores the internal relations between cultural misreading and translator identity and thereby proposes that the translator＇ s misreading of the source text reflects the social psychology and ideology of both the translator and the subgroup he belongs to.