严译《原富》中政经类术语使用之得失

Gains and Losses in Use of Political and Economic Terms in Yuanfu by Yan Fu

在将亚当·斯密《国富论》跨文化地传入中国之时,面对词汇匮乏的局面,严复大量借入新词或新意。严译《原富》中有1200余条泛政经类译词,以音译处理占优势;比较严格意义上的国民经济循环内的经济类名词有480余条,以意译处理占优势。跨文化传播中,严复注意会通中英、融汇古今,但严氏译词也存在音译不当、意译不当、自造词不当、选字古奥等多方面的问题,其本质在于规范性不足。严译《原富》术语得失的启示是:跨文化翻译中,既要敢于创新词汇,尤其要敢于使用音译词,又不可过度使用音译词;既要合理地继承已有用词,又要注意避免生搬硬套;尤其要注意术语的规范化。

When translating Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations cross culturally,Yan Fu borrowed a lot of new words or ideas owing to the lack of relevant vocabulary in the contemporary Chinese.There are about 1200 political and economic words in Yan Fu’s translation of Yuanfu,which are dominated by transliteration;In a more strict sense,there are more than 480 economic nouns in the national economic cycle,and free translation is dominant.In cross-cultural communication,Yan Fu paid attention to the communication between China and Britain as well as the integration of ancient and modern times.Due to the contact and collision of heterogeneous cultures,ideas and languages,Yan’s translated words also had many problems,such as improper transliteration,improper free translation,improper self-made words,ancient and abstruse words,and so on.The lesson from the use of terms in Yuanfu is:in cross-cultural communication,we should not only dare to innovate vocabulary,especially the use of transliterated words,but also avoid using transliterated words excessively;we should not only reasonably inherit the traditional words,but also pay attention to avoid making weird words and avoiding antiquity,otherwise it will hinder the effect and scope of communication.