西方汉学家17个《论语》英译本之底本探析(1828—2007)

An Analysis of the Source Texts of 17 English Translations of The Analects of Confucius by Western Sinologists from 1828 to 2007

本文选取1828年至2007年欧美汉学界17个《论语》英文全译本为研究对象,通过分析其元文本、副文本和正文,尝试对汉学家所参照的经学底本和文献做总结性考证。研究发现,汉学家的译本逐步彰显学术特征,单一的理论诠释容易遮蔽其个体、历史以及文本的复杂性,全面公正的评价应该重视对翻译主体、历史学、文献学等基础领域的综合参考。

Research in China on the English translations of The Analects of Confucius began in the 1980s and has been going on for nearly 40 years.During this period,the research usually focused on a summarization of the translation skills employed at the linguistic level,relied on the interpretation of Western social-science theories,and neglected textual research and its related literature.This article selects 17 complete translations by European and American sinologists from 1828 to 2007 as the research target.By analyzing their metatexts,paratexts and main texts,it makes a detailed study of the source texts and documents to which the sinologists refer.It is found that sinologists9 translations of The Analects of Confucius gradually reveal their academic characteristics.A single theoretical interpretation can easily obscure the text's individuality or historicity as well as the complexity of the text.A comprehensive and fair evaluation should attach importance to the overall reference to basic areas such as the subjectivity of translator,the historiography of the subject of translation as well as philology.