先秦经典中“忠”的多元内涵及其英译研究

The Study of the Multi-connotations of Word--Zhong in Pre-Qin Classics and its English Translation

“忠”,作为独具中国特色的文化专有词,意蕴丰富,语义多样。然而,当前《论语》《左传》等先秦经典英译本中几乎千篇一律地将“忠”译为“loyalty”,显然不妥。汉语“忠”既表示等级性的下级对上级的“效忠”,上级对下级的“爱护”,又包括无关等级的“忠”,如竭尽全力、忠诚相待、不偏不倚、表里如一等。而英语“loyalty”除了“效忠”之义,一般用于表示一种美德,指对友谊的坚定不变、对某个人或某件事的坚持不懈的支持和责任。对比可知,“忠”不能被机械地译为“loyalty”。当表示“效忠尽忠”时,“忠”可译为“loyalty”,当表示“忠爱于民、尽忠职守、忠诚相待、不偏不倚、表里如一”之意时,则建议译为“loyal loving,doing one’s best/being devoted to one’s duty,being honest and frank/treating people with honesty,a fair-heartedness or impartial-heartedness”等。基于文化专有词“忠”的汉英翻译比较研究,提出译者务必认真细致地推敲原文,应根据不同语境,准确抓住原语真义,如实转换成确切的英语,才能使肩负起跨文化交流的重任,才能有效地传播中国文化。

“Zhong”,as a Chinese cultural-specific item with Chinese characteristics,has rich and various meanings.However,it is obviously inappropriate to invariably translate“Zhong”into“loyalty”in the current English translations of Pre-Qin Classics such as the Analects of Confucius and Zuo Zhuan.The Chinese character“Zhong”is not only hierarchical loyalty for the inferior to the superior and for the superior to the subordinate,but also a quality without any hierarchy,which contains making all-out efforts,impartiality,selflessness and consistence of one’s deeds and words with his internal thoughts.But the English word“loyalty”is generally used to express a kind of virtue,which refers to the firm and unchanging friendship,the unremitting support and responsibility for a person or something.By contrast,“Zhong”can never be mechanically translated into“loyalty”.When“Zhong”means“loyal loving,doing one’s best,and a fair-heartedness or impartial-heartedness”,“Zhong”isn’t equal to“loyalty”.Based on the study of the comparison between Chinese and English translations of the cultural specific word“Zhong”,it is proposed that only by carefully examining the original text,accurately grasping the true meaning of the original text according to different contexts,and faithfully converting it into the exact English,can the translator shoulder the responsibility of cross-cultural communication and effectively communicate and disseminate Chinese culture.