“归化”翻译策略新解

A New Interpretation of the “Domestication”Translation Strategy—out of “Domestication”Namely “Free Translation”“Shape”of the Misunderstanding

"归化"翻译是传统翻译,很早以前就存在。鲁迅在1935年首次提出"归化"这个名词,60年后,西方翻译理论界使用domestication这一术语描述翻译策略,中国翻译理论家将它翻译成"归化"。翻译理论界普遍认为"归化"翻译的特点是译文易懂、透明、流畅,读起来不像译文,译文投胎转世,躯壳换了一个,而精神姿致依然故我,译文没有"翻译腔"。然而,有人误解"归化"翻译,把易懂、透明、流畅等作为"归化"翻译的唯一标准。深入研究发现,译文具有易懂、透明、流畅等特点的翻译是"归化"翻译,却不一定是最好的"归化"翻译。最好的"归化"翻译是译文首先翻译出了原文的意义,译文通顺易懂;其次,译文保持了原文的结构,翻译了原文的文体风格,即传统上说的神形兼似。

“Domestication” was first used by Lu Xun to describe fluent and easily-read translation in 1935 and 60 years later, the same term was used in the West translation theory circle. Domestication translation is a transla-tion strategy which is characteristic of “fluent and easily-read”, “translation does not seem to be translated” or“translation is like a pane of glass.” Careful study discovers that the best translation produced under the guidance of domestication translation strategy is the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.