保守与现代:清末西书翻译的语言困境

Conservation and Modernization: The Language Dilemma in the Translation of Western Books in the Late Qing Dynasty

清末翻译往往存在这样的语言困境:一方面,译者体认到文言文在翻译西书和传递新知时的局限,力图采用新的语言表达方式;另一方面,在浓厚的民族文化自大心理面前,译者意识到只有文言文翻译的西书才能迎合知识阶层的审美趣味。清末采用文言翻译西方书籍,除基于文化中心主义思想之外,与译者对读者接受心理的顾及、翻译的功用等因素有关,是在特殊的语境下采取的翻译策略,并非译者的保守之举。清末译者的语言困境折射出引入和传播现代新思想必须面临又亟待解决的语言问题,为五四白话文运动的发生积蓄了能量。

There always was the language dilemma in the late Qing Dynasty. On the one hand, the translators knew thatthey couldnt avoid the limitations when translating the western books and transferring the new knowledge in classic Chinese,so they wanted to employ new language expression; on the other hand, because of the national cultural arrogance, the trans-lators knew that only the translated books in classic Chinese could meet the old intellectuals＇aesthetic demand. Why did thetranslators translate the western books in classic Chinese.9 Besides the cultural centralism, there were some other reasonssuch as the readerg acceptance, translation function and translation strategies in the special context. Itg not the conserva-tive behavior that the translators translated the western books in classic Chinese. The translators＇language dilemma reflectedthat introduction and dissemination of new ideas must face the language problem, which saved the energy for the occurrenceof the vernacular movement of May 4th.