论中国传统译论之“信”观

On the Pursuit of “Xin” in Chinese Traditional Translation Theories

中国传统译论植根于古典文化的沃土之上,受到儒释道思想的侵染,对译文、译者及翻译活动本身都提出了“信”的要求,且内涵丰富:译文之“信”在于做到忠实于原文,译者之“信”在于能够保证翻译的质量,译事之“信”在于达到译以致用的目的。儒释道三家异曲同声、同工论“信”,儒家思想讲求执中致和、至诚求“信”,道家思想推崇易之谓道、变以致“信”。在当代语境中,内涵侧重不同的“信”适用于不同领域的翻译。通过追溯“信”的渊源、阐释“信”的含义,可为当代翻译实践中不同类型文本翻译提供理论借鉴和解释。

Rooted in the fertile soil of classical culture,traditional Chinese translation theories are affected by the thoughts of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism,all of which propose the standard concerning “xin” that is abundant in connotations:the translated text should be faithful to the original text,the translator should ensure high quality of translation and translation activity should ensure that it can be of practical use or serve for specific purpose.Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism see eye to eye with each other in certain aspects concerned with “xin” despite their being different schools.Confucianism advocates acting impartially to achieve harmony and working earnestly to practice “xin”.Taoism recommends practising the philosophy of change to seek “xin”.From the above,it can be seen that “xin” comes in various forms in Chinese traditional translation theories and has been the constant pursuit across thousands of years.In the contemporary context,different connotations of “xin” are applicable to translation practice in different fields.By tracing the origin of “xin” and interpreting its meaning,it is expected that theoretical reference and explanation can be provided for the translation of different types of texts in contemporary translation practice.