一部挑战翻译理论传统原则的学术新作——读Challenging the Traditional Axioms: Translation into a Non-Mother Tongue一书

A Review on "Challenging the Traditional Axioms: Translation into a Non-Mother Tongue"

翻译研究界一般认为译者只能译为其母语,即译者只能进行直接翻译,而译为非母语即逆向翻译则饱受责难。在Challenging the Traditional Axioms:Translation into a Non-Mother Tongue一书中,作者博康以理论分析、语料分析与问卷调查的方式,挑战了"译者只能译为其母语"的传统观念,指出这种观念所赖以生存的"母语"与"本族语者"两个概念的不客观性与非确定性,梳理了翻译理论中与逆向翻译相关的种种观点。此外,博康运用语料分析与问卷调查的方法,指出翻译界种种传统假定的片面性,并论证了"译为非母语"的可行性。

It is traditionally believed that a translator should only translate into his mother tongue, i.e. a translator should only engage in direct translation. Translation into non-mother tongue or inverse translation is widely blamed. However, “Challenging the Traditional Axioms： Translation into a Non-Mother Tongue” by Nike K. Pokorn attempts to challenge such traditional axioms. It not only points out the indeterminacy of the different definitions of “mother tongue” and “native speaker”on which the traditional axioms are based on, combs various kinds of viewpoints on inverse translation, but also undermines the traditional assumptions about translation and thus justify inverse translation through an analysis of corpora and a questionnaire. In the end, this paper also reflects on inverse translation in contemporary China.