《倾城之恋》英译修改及其经典化过程

The English Translation,Revision and Canonization of Love in a Fallen City

《倾城之恋》作为张爱玲的成名作和代表作之一,从诞生到成为英语世界文学经典乃至世界经典走过了一个甲子。本文从金凯筠翻译修改过程、译者成长以及社会历史语境三个维度对《倾城之恋》蝶变过程和成因进行文本内外探究,希望对中国现代文学外译及其在世界范围的经典化有所借鉴。研究发现,作品的蝶变是朝向英语读者"喜闻乐见"的模式,在经典化过程中与译者彼此加权、互相成全,并在中国软、硬实力日益强大和国际化的大时代背景下,经文学界、评论界、电影界、翻译界、出版界等合力而为,其间尤其是中国或华裔人士的强力助推起到了关键作用。

Six decades passed since Love in a Fallen City,one of Eileen Chang’s masterpiece novels,was published in Chinese in 1943 and then became canonized in the English and world literature respectively.Long and bumpy in itself,the process of canonization mirrors the route whereby modern and contemporary Chinese literature will have to follow from outward translation to canonization in the arena of world literature.In order to gain the insights this phenomenon might have for more Chinese literature to"go out"and get canonized,this paper sets out to delve into both the process and the factors of the transformation of the novel.The analysis focuses on three dimensions,i.e.,the translator’s professional growth to maturity,the process of her translation and revision,and the socio-historical context surrounding the translation.It is found that a target reader-oriented consideration for easy readability,a translator-weighted mean and coordination of all personnel concerned(i.e.,literati,critics,film industry,publishers,etc.),and China’s ever-growing soft and hard power,and the globalization of the world literatures,have all contributed to the success of the novel.