论林语堂翻译《红楼梦》的六大选择

Lin Yutang's decision-makings in his translation of The Red Chamber Dream

本文以日本所藏林语堂《红楼梦》英译原稿为研究对象,借鉴列维(2008)视翻译为选择过程的观点,分析林语堂在文本上选择《红楼梦》,在底本上选择王希廉评本,在翻译形式上选择编译,在翻译内容上选择故事至上,在翻译策略上选择汰弱留强、删繁就简以及选择佐藤亮一作为转译本译者这六个选择和选择背后的原因,以探明林语堂编译《红楼梦》的历程。文章还穿插探讨了学界较为关心的两个话题:林语堂一度放弃翻译《红楼梦》的原因以及不直接出版译稿而选择在日本转译出版的原因,笔者指出这均与出版商华尔希有关。

This paper focuses on Lin Yutang's translation The Red Chamber Dream, a work hidden in Japan. In view of Jiri Levy's view that translation is a decision-making process, the paper investigates Lin Yutang's six decision-makings and reasons thereof in translation to explore his translation process. These decision-makings include choosing The Red Chamber Dream as the text, choosing Wang Xilian's version as the original text, choosing to translate and edit the text, choosing to give the story priority when deciding what to delete and what to keep, choosing the survival of the fittest and simplicity as the strategies as well as choosing Ryoiti Sato as the Japanese translator. The paper also discusses two popular concerns among scholars: why Lin Yutang once thought of giving up the translation; why he let the English version be translated into Japanese for publication rather than publishing it in English directly. Both questions have to do with the publisher Richard J. Walsh.