权力话语与中国话语的建构——以《文心雕龙》首部英文全译本为例

Constructing Chinese Discourse from the Perspective of Power Discourse——With the First Full English Translation of Wenxin Diaolong for Example

翻译是两种话语之间的博弈,是在源语和目的语之间展开的一场争夺话语权的跨文化活动,其背后暗含了两个国家之间地位和实力的角逐,同时也是两种不同的国家利益和意识形态的较量。因此,对外传播中的典籍英译活动,不应单纯停留在传达层面,而应通过翻译在目的语话语体系中获取源语话语权,彰显源语社会的话语特色,维护本国和本民族的利益。以《文心雕龙》首部英文全译本为例,译者施友忠精心选材,重铸特色词汇,移译汉字文化,彰显中国文化的底蕴。施友忠打破西方强势话语,通过适宜的传播策略,在异域文化语境中重构中国特色的文论话语。这种精神动力根植于译者对祖国文化的热爱,源自译者强烈的责任担当和文化自信。中国文化"走出去"战略目前所急需和迫切召唤的也正是这种译者责任感和使命感的回归。

Translation is a game between two discourses.It is a cultural activity that competes for discourse power between the source language and the target language,behind which implies the competition between the two countries’status and strength and the rivalry between two different national interests and ideologies.Therefore,the English translation of classics in foreign communication should not be merely placed at the level of communication.Instead,in translation,the discourse power of the source language should be obtained in the discourse system of the target language,highlighting the discourse characteristics and safeguarding the national interests of the motherland.Taking the first full English translation of the Wenxin Diaolong for example,Vincent Yu-chung Shih,the translator,carefully selected materials,recast characteristic vocabulary,transplanted the culture of Chinese characters and highlighted the Chinese cultural heritage.By breaking the western strong discourse,and through a suitable communication strategy,he reconstructed in the foreign cultural context the discourse of literary theory with Chinese characteristics.This spiritual motive is deep-rooted in the translator’s love for the culture of the motherland and derives from his strong responsibility and cultural confidence.At present,what the going global strategy for Chinese cultural development needs and calls for is just the return to the translator’s sense of mission and responsibility.