读者接受力与忠信原则:华兹生英译《史记》的双重限阈

A Study of Burton Watson’s English Translation of The Shiji Within the Double Confinements of Reader’s Acceptability and Fidelity Principle

华兹生是当代美国著名中国典籍翻译家之一，也是较早将《史记》译为朴实典雅的英文介绍到西方英语世界的杰出汉学家。华兹生《史记》英译追求读者审美接受与忠信的统一，在文本表层忠信和读者接受之间难以取舍时，华兹生取文本深层的忠信以确保《史记》在译文读者接受中的效度。虽然华兹生因可读性而牺牲一定文本表层的忠信，进而造成原文意义信息的缺损，但却在深层审美上忠信于原文和译文读者期待。华兹生努力兼顾读者接受力的和忠信原则，他在《史记》英译中较好地平衡读者接受力和忠信原则的双重限阈，有效推进《史记》西传。华兹生《史记》英译的成功经验能够为中国史学典籍英译如何处理文学性语言差异问题提供启发和借鉴。

Burton Watson was one of the most famous American contemporary translators in English translation of Classical Chinese literature, and a distinguishes sinologist who employs lucid and elegant English to translate The Shift and introduces it to western English speaking world. Watson pursues a unity of fidelity and reader＇s aesthetic reception in his translation of The Shift. With difficult choice to make between faithfulness to the textual surface and reader＇s reception, Watson opts for faithfulness to the deep textual layer so as to ensure the validity of the reader＇s reception. Achieving readability at the cost of superficial fidelity may well cause losses of meanings of the original text and reduce the degree of fidelity on the surface level. Nevertheless, fidelity can be established in the deep aesthetic appreciation of the translation, and in addition, expectations of readers of the translated text can be fulfilled. Watson endeavors to be faithful to the original while adapting to reader＇s acceptability, striking a balance in his trans- lation of The Shiji between the double confinements that are reader＇s acceptability and translator＇s fidelity principle, thus effectively promoting the spread of The Shift in the West. His successful translation experience will definitely benefit future translations of classical Chinese history and inspire translators in dealing with issues concerning linguistic and cultural differences of literary languages.