文化保守主义背景之下的“雅”

An Inquiry Into the Translation Criteria of “Elegance” in the Contexts of Cultural Conservatism

严复先生提出的"信、达、雅"翻译标准对我国的翻译理论和实践产生了极大影响,但长期以来学界对该标准涉及的"雅"多有争议。正确理解和评判"雅",不应局限于文辞之争,更不该割裂其产生的社会历史背景。从翻译史的视角来看,严复之"雅"集中体现了优秀的译文对译入语文化的坚持,深刻阐明了译者对译入语文化的保护和促进责任,具有重大的进步意义。在与法国著名翻译家Nicolas Perrot d’Ablancourt所提倡的"雅"做横向比较时,我们也可以看出,二者都在提醒译者传承与捍卫母国文化,都具有开明文化保守主义的鲜明特点。

The translating criteria of ＂faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance＂, put forth by Yan Fu, has had the enormous influence on Chinese translation theory and practice, but the academic circle has long been arguing for the standard of ＂elegance＂. Understanding and evaluating ＂elegance＂ correctly should not just be confined to the language itself, and should not split its social and historical background it has arisen from, either. From the perspective of translation history, the ＂elegance＂ by Yan Fu epitomi- zes the persistence of the excellent translation to the target language culture, deeply illuminates the protec- ting and promoting responsibility of the translator to the target language culture, which has been of great significance. Comparing with the ＂Elegance＂ advocated by Nicolas Perrot d ＇Ablancourt, a famous French translator, we can also see that both of them remind the translator of inheriting and protecting the native culture, and both of them possess the distinctive characteristics of cultural conservatism.