时代语境与个体标准:斯当东《玉娇梨》节译本研究

Social context and personal criterion:a study of Staunton’s translation of Yujiaoli

斯当东是19世纪早期为数不多的英国汉学家之一,其节译的《玉娇梨》在当时颇具影响力。其译文反映出欧洲对中国的主流观点如何与译者的经历、计划等个体偶然因素交织在一起,最终使得译本呈现出与原作既相似又相异,对中国文化既贬斥又美化的独特形态。在叙事上,他对原文的调整前后统一。在前两章,他显然以欧洲小说为参照,但由于他本人并不打算出版全译本,故而逐渐放松了对原作的干预,也使得英国读者得以瞥见中国古典小说特有的叙事习惯。在翻译的细节上,他在人名和身份上主要采取异化法,而由于他本人不熟悉中国职官典制、科举制度与佛道文化,又不加检验校对,译文中存在多处“无心之失”。在对小说的评价上,他一方面遵从当时欧洲主流的观点,同时又有基于个体经验的独特标准,他的评价“既褒又贬”“摇摆不定”,正是不同的标准冲撞、调和的表征。

George Thomas Staunton was one of the few British sinologists in the early 19th century.His English translation of the first four chapters of a Chinese novel Yujiaoli reflects how Europe’s mainstream views on China intricately intertwine with the translator’s personal experience and preferences,resulting in the fact that the translation is both similar to and different from the original,degrading and glorifying the Chinese culture at the same time.In terms of narrative structure,Staunton’s adjustments are inconsistent,largely because he did not intend to publish a full translation.While in the first two chapters,his adjustments are made mainly to meet the reader’s aesthetic taste for European novels,as he relaxes his control,in the last two chapters the reader is allowed to get a glimpse of the narrative features of Chinese novels.As far as translation is concerned,Staunton mainly adopts the foreignisation strategy when translating the name and the identity of the characters.As he was not familiar with the Chinese official system,the imperial examination system,and the Buddhist and Taoist elements,and perhaps did no proofreading,there are many minor mistakes in his translation.His complicated,if not contradicted,comments of the novel in a way deviate from the common British views on China,perhaps as a result of him trying to balance the mainstream views on China and at the same time adding in his own opinions.