《红高粱家族》英译的误译及对语篇理解的影响

The Analysis of Mistranslation of Red Sorghum English Version on the View of Discourse Scenario——Illustrated with Howard Goldblatt's English Version

著名汉学家葛浩文的《红高粱家族》英译本深受外国读者喜爱,影响较大,但是在他的译本中尚有很多误译之处。这些误译造成了译本语篇情节的缺失,从而影响读者对小说的理解。依据帕尔默的语篇情节概念,分别找出译本在语篇情节方面的五种图式上出现的误译,并对其进行分析研究,结果认为:参与图式中人称称谓上的误译使读者混淆人物关系,同时无法领会高密东北乡独特的说话方式;言语行为图式中陈述情节和表达情节的误译不仅使读者误读人物行为,还会使读者无法了解说话人潜在的情感;次第顺序图式的误译改变了部分语篇的行为结构,造成读者理解偏差;视角图式的误译使个别句子的意义与整个语篇想表达的内容不符,对读者理解语篇造成困惑;由文化差异造成的概念图式上的误译削弱读者对语篇的期待。所以,译者应对原文语篇情节进行妥善处理以减少误译,这才是读者识解语篇的关键。

Goldblatt’ s English Version of Red Sorghum has great popularity and deep influence.It studies the mistranslation existed in English version and analyzes how mistranslation leads to the loss of discourse scenario in English version and affects readers’ understanding of the novel.Based on Palmer’s concept of discourse scenario, it respectively finds out the mistranslation existed in discourse scenario ’ s five schemas---participation schemas, speech act schemas, sequencing schemas, perspective schemas and ideational schemas.In participation schemas, mistranslation of persons’ appellation makes readers confuse character relation and fail to experience such a unique speech in gaomi northeast village.In speech act schemas, mistranslation of assertives and expressives makes read-ers not only misunderstand characters’ actions but also fail to figure out speakers’ hidden emotion.In sequencing schemas, mistranslation changes part discourse’ s behavior structure and leads to readers’ misunderstanding.In perspective schemas, mistranslation makes the meanings of several sentences are against whole discourse’ s ideas. In ideational schemas, mistranslation caused by cultural differences weakens readers’ expectations for discourse. Consequently, translators’ proper treatment of discourse scenario in source text is the key to readers’ understand-ing of discourse.