科学术语的翻译实践及其概念的语境重置——从“bacterium”到“细菌”

Translation and Conceptual Re-Contextualization of Scientific Terminology:From“Bacterium”to“Xijun”

19世纪末20世纪初,“bacterium”概念由西方传播至我国,并最终以“细菌”二字成为汉语词。这是一则外来概念在华传播的成功案例。“细菌”的入华“旅行”先后经历了术语“bacterium”的翻译实践、概念“bacterium”的在华接受及译词“细菌”的最终确立。“微虫”“微生物”“微菌”“霉菌”“微生毒”“微生虫”“璧他利亚”等译词的涌现、共存与淘汰体现了概念跨文化传播在语言层面的复杂表征,语境重置则是此番过程的本质。汉语语境“虫”概念和本土传统的病因学体系为“旅行”概念的接受创造条件。“细菌”二字被确立为术语“bacterium”的译词则是社会权力制约下的结果。深入挖掘这则成功案例,厘清概念跨文化传输的特点,或能为提升概念跨文化传播效率提供些许启示。

The terminology“bacterium”was introduced to China at the turn of the 20th century,its Chinese version“xijun”was finally as accepted and considered a good example for alien concepts’transcultural transference into the Chinese.The“travel”of“bacterium”went through three stages:translation of the term,acceptance of its concept,and establishment of its Chinese equivalent“xijun(细菌)”.The process of emergence,concurrence,and disappearance of different Chinese terms including“weichong”“weishengwu”“weijun”“meijun”“weishengchong”and“weishengdu”demonstrated linguistic complexities of concepts’transcultural transference,of which re-contextualization was its essence.As a matter of fact,the Chinese concept of“chong”and the traditional etiological theories provided preparatory conditions for“bacterium”being accepted,and its established Chinese version“xijun”resulted from exercises of social power.The characteristics of such a“travel”process may shed light on efficient transcultural communication.