林语堂英译《红楼梦》之文化历程

On the cultural history of Lin Yutang’s English translation of The Red Chamber Dream

林语堂未出版的《红楼梦》英译稿自发现以来,学界一直无法确切回答林语堂为何不直接出版英译稿而在日本转译出版的疑问,对其翻译历程亦说法各异。中国嘉德(香港)国际拍卖有限公司2021年公开了林语堂晚年写给陈守荊的亲笔信,提供了解疑的关键文献。本文据此书信,结合已有研究,回答上述疑问,并指出:林语堂的翻译历程横跨20世纪30~70年代,期间经历了动念尝试、专注翻译、搁置译稿、修订译稿并联络出版等四个阶段的文化历程,显示出国际时局对其影响甚大,红学发展及《红楼梦》英译出版形势之影响亦不可忽略。

Lin Yutang’s unpublished English translation of The Red Chamber Dream is now stored in the Hachinohe Municipal Library in Japan.Since its discovery,the academic community has been unable to definitely answer the question why Lin Yutang did not publish the English translation directly,but entrusted Sato Ryoichi to translate and publish it in Japan.Furthermore,there are different views of its translation process.In 2021,China Guardian(Hong Kong)International Auction Co.,Ltd.published the personal letters by Lin Yutang to Chen Shoujing in his later years,providing key documents to resolve doubts.Based on the letters and combined with existing research,this study answered the above questions and determined that Lin Yutang’s translation was carried out from the 1930s to the 1970s.In this process,he experienced four stages:thinking and attempting,focusing on translation,shelving translation,and revising translation and contacting publishers.Each stage was greatly affected by the international context,and the influence of the development of Redology and the situation of English translation and publication of The Red Chamber Dream should not be ignored.