中国基督教知识分子对God汉语译名的理解——对《万国公报》“圣号”讨论的研究

The Response of the Chinese Name of God in Chinese Christian Intellectuals: A Study on the Term Question in Wanguo Gongbao

God的翻译问题是圣经汉译史上争论最多的问题之一,作为接受者,中国人的理解是解决这一问题不可忽视的因素。然而长久以来,传教士对这一因素并未表现出足够的重视,罕有中国人参与讨论。《万国公报》1877年至1878年以"圣号论"为论题发表的一系列文章表达出了中国基督教知识分子对God中文译名的理解,成为有关这一论题的珍贵资料。本文对这批资料进行了详细分析,发现参与讨论的中国基督徒在译名问题上有着自己独立的观点和独特的理解,他们没有完全追随传教士的意见,而是从自己的文化传统和生存处境出发,提出了自己的理解和判断。他们还努力从各个角度对自己的观点进行理性的论证,并在论证中表现出双向诠释的倾向。同时,他们在讨论中也表现出了宽容的态度,既顾全了大局,也为自己原有的文化身份争取到一定的生存空间。对这一讨论的研究既让我们看到在文化传播中其接受者身份和处境的不可回避,也让我们看到在传播者和接受者相互作用中产生的变动因素,以及这种变动对传播的达成所具有的重要意义。

The Term Question was one of the most controversial questions in the history of Chinese Bible translation. As the recipient, Chinese understanding can not be neglected in solving this problem. However, missionaries hadn't paid enough attention to this primary ingredient for a long time, and only a few of Chinese people participated in the debate upon the Term Question. A series of articles on Wanguo Gongbao from 1877 to 1878 gave voice to the Chinese Christians' understanding of the Chinese term of God,which became one of the most precious sources on this thesis. By analyzing those sources detailedly, this paper found that Chinese Christians who participated in the discussion had independent viewpoints and particular understanding on the Term Question. They didn't completely fellow the ideas of missionaries, but brought forward their own perspectives and judgments from their own cultural tradition and life circumstances. They also tried to demonstrate their ideas reasonably from every aspect, which presented a trend of double-direction hermeneutic in the discussion. Meanwhile, they behaved with an attitude of tolerance, that is, on the one hand they considered overall situation, and on the other hand, they tried to gain some living space for their original cultural identity. The study on this thesis shows that the cultural identity and living circumstance of the recipient was a significant factor in cultural transmission which can not be obviated. At the same time, it also shows that there are some altered factors in the exchange between transmitters and recipients, and these altered factors are significant in accomplishing the transmission.