《聊斋志异》民俗英译问题刍议

An Analysis of the English Translation of the Folklore in Liaozhai Zhiyi

本文从民俗产生的根源出发,按照经济、社会、信仰和游艺的民俗四分法,历时考察《聊斋志异》英译本,分析民俗的特征及其给翻译带来的问题。研究发现:民俗“全人类共同性”为英译提供可能性和现实依据;民俗的历史性和变异性给翻译带来了本体的确定问题,民族性和表演性则造成主体的认知和阐释问题。解决本体问题的办法在于民俗内部,即充分利用民俗的功能性和社会性;改善主体问题的方式则在于人,路径包括但不限于推动翻译参与者的有效对话、加工读者的心理认知和允许中国人的逆向“发声”。

Beginning from the origin of folklore,this study observes several versions of English translation of Liaozhai Zhiyi and analyzes the features of folklore and problems it brings to the translation by dividing it into four categories,namely the folklore of economy,society,faith and entertainment.It is found that the“universal commonality” of folklore lay the possibility and practical basis for English translation.In the meantime,its historicity and variability bring about challenges of identifying the noumenon,the nationality and performativity cause cognition and interpretation difficulties for the subject.The answers of the ontological problems lie in making full use of the intenal functionality and sociality of folklore.The solution to the subject problem depends on human agents,including but not limited to effective promoting dialogue among participants involved in translation activities,operating readers'psychological cognition,and allowing Chinese“speaking for” themselves.