试论自译的忠实性——以白先勇的自译作品《台北人》为例

On the Faithfulness in Self-translation——A Case Study of Bai Xianyong's Self-translation of Taipei People

忠实是备受推崇的一条翻译标准,但完全忠实也是难以企及的一种愿景。自译作为一种特殊的翻译形式,是原作作者同时作为译者来翻译自己作品的一种活动,而自译中的忠实是一个值得探讨的话题。在自译过程中,由于译者同时为作品的作者,因此对于作品有着更深刻的理解,便能够更具体、精确地传达原文的信息;同时,自译者相对于一般译者有着更大的特权,所以在翻译过程中对原作进行修改、调整、增添、删减方面享有更高的自由,也就更加有利于原文精神的传达。自译活动对翻译的忠实做出了全新的解释,即译者既应力图深刻理解原文,在译作中对原文做出精确化、具体化的阐释,同时又不能拘泥于一词一句的得失,而应关注整体的忠实性。

Fidelity has been a highly regarded criterion in translation,but complete faithfulness is a vision difficult to achieve.Self-translation is a special translation form in which the translator translates his/her own work,so the degree of faithfulness in self trans-lation is worth to be studied as the translator is also the author of the original work.It is found through study in this paper that,onone hand,the translator,with more profound understanding of the original work of which he/she is also the author,can transmit theinformation in original work more concretely and more accurately in the self-translation process;on the other hand,the self transla-tor enjoys high freedom in revision,adjustment,addition and deletion to the original information due to his/her greater privilegecompared to that of common translators,in which way the spirit of original work can be better conveyed.In self-translation activity,the meaning of faithfulness is explained in a brand new way,i.e.the translator should try to understand the original work deeplyand make accurate and concrete interpretation to the original work,and should also concern the overall faithfulness but not stick tocorrespondence in lexical or syntactic levels.