求真与务实并举:美国汉学家艾思柯英译李清照诗词译者行为研究

Pursuing Truth-seeking and Utility-attaining:A Study on the Translator Behavior of Florence Ayscough in Translating Li Qingzhao’s Poems

20世纪30年代,美国汉学家艾思柯在《中国女性今与昔》(Chinese Women Yesterday and Today)一书中对李清照进行了介绍和作品翻译,从翻译史来看,这是美国汉学家首次对李清照进行译介。从英语世界读者反应来看,此次译介意义重大。本文借助译者行为批评理论,从“文本—行为—社会”维度,对其译者行为进行探究。研究发现艾思柯译介李清照是出于向西方读者介绍中国女性的务实动机,艾思柯对李清照的译介秉持务实原则的同时也尽力求真,形式的保留、文化内容的显化以及诗境的再现,都使得译文最大程度地还原原文。不仅如此,艾思柯还利用丰厚的副文本力求李清照女性形象之真。

In the 1930s,American Sinologist Florence Ayscough introduced and translated the works of Li Qingzhao in her book Chinese Women Yesterday and Today,marking the first introduction and translation of Li Qingzhao by an American Sinologist from a historiographical perspective.This translation and introduction hold significant meaning for English-speaking readers.This paper utilizes the theory of translator behavior criticism and explores Ayscough’s translator behavior from the dimensions of text,behavior,and society.The study finds that Rickett’s translation and introduction of Li Qingzhao were driven by a pragmatic motivation to introduce Chinese women to Western readers.While adhering to a principle of practicability,Ayscough also endeavored truth seeking.The preservation of form,the manifestation of cultural content,and the reproduction of poetic realms all allow the translation to restore the original text to the greatest extent.Furthermore,Ayscough utilized extensive paratexts in an effort to truthfully represent the female image of Li Qingzhao.