走向社会批评——评马修·阿诺德《论荷马史诗的翻译》

Towards Social Criticism——On Matthew Arnold's “On Translating Homer”

通过对荷马风格鞭辟入里的分析,阿诺德考察了16世纪到19世纪英国译者的不足,以期为将来的荷马译者提供借鉴。但是详加考察就会发现《论荷马史诗的翻译》看似言在此——谈论翻译技巧,实则意在彼——进行社会批评,与其说阿诺德在批判纽曼的翻译风格,不如说在表达自己对社会的批评观念。阿诺德已经将它抽象成一种社会理想,既表现为荷马所代表的风格——崇高庄重;又化身为国家;同时还是英国国教所代表的统一、权威与秩序。只有将阿诺德所推崇的"崇高"置于其社会批评的视域中,才能窥见它背后的深意。

Matthew Arnold analyzes Homer＇s style in depth. He examined deficiencies in English versions from 16 thcentury to 19 thcentury,which provides guidance to later translators. ＂On Translating Homer＂seems to be about translation techniques,but with scrutiny we can find it is social criticism in nature. Arnold is not condemning Newman＇s translation style so much as voicing his own social criticism. The ＂grand style＂has been abstracted into a social ideal which takes the form of ＂grand style＂represented by Homer,which is also the state,unity,authority and order presented by the Church of England. Only the ＂grand style＂is put into the vision of social criticism,can we understand its implications.