许渊冲“三美论”视域下的《道德经》三个英译本对比分析

A Contrastive Study of the Three English Versions of Tao Te Ching from the Perspective of Xu Yuanchong's Three-Beauty Principle

《道德经》虽寥寥五千言,但其思想深邃,体现了中国传统文化的精髓。《道德经》的英译在过去三百年间取得了丰硕成果,译本纷呈。本文从许渊冲"三美"翻译标准视角对巴尔福,林语堂以及史蒂芬·米歇尔的3个译本进行译文对比研究,探索不同时代背景和文化背景下的《道德经》译本。从许渊冲"三美论"翻译标准视角看上述3个译本,由于根据字面意思的直译和采用归化策略而产生的误译在2个外国学者译本中出现的较多,未能较好的传达原文的"意美",相比之下林语堂的译文要胜出一筹。这是由于林语堂既忠实于原文、中国文化,又秉着对读者、对艺术负责的态度努力再现了《道德经》韵文哲理诗的"意美、音美、形美"。

There are only five thousand words in Tao Te Ching,but it is thoughtful and meaningful,reflec-ting the essence of Chinese traditional culture.The English translated versions of Tao Te Ching have a-chieved substantial results in the past three hundred years.This paper discusses a contrastive study of Bal-four,Lin Yutang and Stephen Mitchell＆#39;s three English translated versions of Tao Te Ching from the per-spective of Xu Yuanchongs Three -Beauty principle,exploring the influence of different times and cultural background on its translation.According to Three -Beauty principle,the mistranslation resulting from literal translation and domesticating strategy appears mostly in the two foreign translators＆#39;versions,failing to deliv-er the beauty of meaning in the original.While Lin Yutang＆#39;s version seems more skillful,it is faithful to the original and Chinese culture and takes readers and art into consideration to represent the beauty of mean-ing,beauty in sound and beauty of form of Tao Te Ching.