视角、史实与文本——重译《中国十八省府·苏州》一得

Perspectives,Historical Facts and Text:Reflections on the Re-translation of“Soochow”of Eighteen Capitals of China

20世纪初西方地理学探险家威廉·埃德加·盖洛曾到中国考察,并撰著《中国十八省府》,其中有《苏州》章。盖洛不通汉语,亦非学者,一方面他所吸收、采纳和记录的苏州资料有相当的广泛性和多样性,另一方面这些资料的可信度和价值意义需要读者仔细斟酌考辨。通过重译《苏州》章并与之前的译文进行比较,发现对于此类文本侧重文史互证的翻译方式较为有效,它不仅凸显盖洛观察苏州选取的独特视角和人文深度,也最大程度地保证了译文的信实度,还原历史的真实细节。

Western humanist geographor and explorer William Edgar Geil visited many parts of China in the early 20th century.He recorded his travelling in Eighteen Capitals of China,which includes a chapter on“Soochow”.Geil is neither proficient in Chinese language nor a scholar.On the one hand,the references about Suzhou he has absorbed,adopted,and recorded are quite extensive and diverse.On the other hand,the credibility and value of these materials require readers to carefully consider and discern.By re-translating the“Soochow”chapter and comparing it with the previous translations,we notice that the translation strategy that highlights cultural and historical verification is more effective for this type of text.This strategy not only highlights Geil’s unique perspective and humanistic depth in observing Suzhou,but also maximizes the reliability of the translated text and restores the true details of history.