“失本”本义考论

On the True Meaning of “Loss of Source Text”

对于道安法师提出的"五失本三不易"之说中"失本"的内涵,学界一直存在分歧。代表性观点有二:一种认为"失本"即"改变原文形态"(形变),一种认为是"违背原文内容/精神"(义变)。本文结合道安提出"失本"论的背景,经过对两种观点的辨析发现,形变派的观点合情合理,义变派的观点有失偏颇。事实上,道安所言之"失本"只是强调译文形态之变,而非意义之变,但归根到底是担心由"形变"导致的"义变"。

There have been disputes in scholastic circles over the interpretation of the original meaning of the concept 'loss of source text' in 'Five Losses of Source Text and Three Difficulties in Translation' put forward by M aster Daoan.Some insist that 'loss of source text' means 'changing the form of source text'(change of form),and some claim that it means 'violating the content/spirit of the original'(change of meaning),while others take vague and ambiguous view points.M aking a thorough analysis of these view s,this paper finds that the first view point is fair and reasonable,the second biased and the third hard to evaluate for its ambiguity.Therefore,it is advisable to take into consideration the background against which the concept was put forward if we wish to find out the true meaning of 'loss of source text'.As a matter of fact,the concept focuses basically on the change of form rather than the change of meaning of source text,but after all,it is Daoan's concern about loss of meaning caused by loss of form that gives birth to the concept.