19世纪后期中日外交官古典小说译出比较——以陈季同与末松谦澄译介活动为例

A Comparison of Public Diplomacy-oriented Translations by Chinese and Japanese Diplomats in the Late 19th Century

本文从文本选择、翻译策略与译本接受三个方面,比较陈季同与末松谦澄这两位同一时代的中日外交官对本国古典小说的译介活动,旨在勾勒中日两国通过文学译出进行的文化外交,在目的、路径、效果等方面的异同,从中窥见19世纪后期中日两国在对外文化传播以及公共外交中的策略和倾向性之异同。

This article compares the translation activities of Tcheng ki-tong, a late 19th-century Chinese diplomat, and those conducted by his Japanese counterpart Suematsu Kenchō, in terms of the source texts chosen, the translation strategies adopted and the way their translations had been received respectively. The study shows that while Tcheng's translations were imbued with a quixotic personal intention to integrate the source and the target culture, and they hence ended up being little more than a reflection of the Qing Dynasty's awkward efforts to promote cultural diplomacy, Suematsu translated with the clear aim to facilitate the political policy of Japan's Meji Era, thus contributed significantly to the success of Japanese public diplomacy during this period.