文学翻译的心路历程

Three Questions for a Literary Translator

作者在翻译文学作品时,常对自己提出三个问题:一问译文是否忠实得能使读者知道原文说了什么(知之),二者译文是否通顺得能使读者喜欢(好之),三问译文是否精彩得能使读者感到愉快(乐之),这就是作者在翻译文学作品时心路历程的三部曲。

In this article the author shares with readers three key questions he constantly asks himself while translating literary works. These questions are: (1) Is the translated text rendered so faithful that it will let the reader know what the original says? (2) Is the translated text rendered so smooth that it will be appealing to the reader? (3) Is the translated text rendered so felicitous that the reader will enjoy reading it? The author explains how the three questions have led him through what he regards as three crucial stages in the mental process of a literary translator.