一只看不见的手——论意识形态对翻译实践的操纵

An Invisible Hand: Ideological Manipulation in the Practice of Translation

传统译论注重标准的厘定和对标准的遵守。因此,传统翻译研究的重点多放在原著与译作之间的文本对比之上,所遵循的翻译最高准则是“忠”。本文从历史的角度对佛经的翻译和严复的翻译行为进行了描写和分析,揭示了在这个最高准则之上还有一只在无形之中操纵翻译行为的手,那就是“意识形态”。

Translation theory has traditionally stressed the establishment of and compliance with translation criteria, and traditional studies have thus focused mainly on the comparison of source and target texts, taking 'fidelity' as the highest criterion. This paper examines the translation of Buddhist scriptures and the translation practice of Yan Fu from a historical perspective, to show how, above the criterion of fidelity, ideology has functioned as an 'invisible hand' manipulating translation practice.