中英日三语互动下“自由”译词的来源与创制

The Origin and Formulation of the Translated Concept Ziyou with the Interaction among Chinese, English and Japanese

中国古汉语中的“自由”一词经日本学者和西方传教士借用,对译西学中“liberty”或“freedom”语词,在中文、英语和日语三语互动的影响下又反哺于近代汉语,并逐步发展成为近代中国“开民智、兴民德”的核心概念之一。通过系统梳理“自由”译词的来源和创制过程,剖析“自由”译词在中英日三语之间的关联,从而揭示了“自由”译词得以生发的思想脉络,对于呈现近代中外词汇交流史的部分图景具有重要的历史意义。

The word Ziyou in ancient Chinese was borrowed by Japanese scholars and Western missionaries to translate the word“liberty”or“freedom”in English.The translated concept Ziyou returned to and influenced modern Chinese with the interaction among Chinese,English and Japanese,and gradually became one of the core concepts to inspire people’s wisdom and form people’s ethics in modern China.This thesis analyses the origin and the process of the formulation of the translated concept Ziyou,dissects its correlation among Chinese,English and Japanese,as well as its thought vein.This is of great historic significance for presenting part of the communication history between Chinese and foreign words in late Qing Dynasty.