文學翻譯的語言正式度比較：語料庫為本

Abstract

文學翻譯研究探討譯文語言風格時，大多以主觀方式評析，如指出哪些用語較正式、哪些用詞較不正式。

本研究主張語言正式度可以用較客觀的方法分析，因此從語言學角度出發，以量性為主、質性為輔的方式，檢視三部英文小說的六本中譯本，即David Copperfield的林漢達及思果譯本、The Old Man and the Sea的海觀及余光中譯本、Slaughterhouse-Five的洛夫及陳枻樵譯本。除了比較譯本正式度差距，亦探討哪個譯本與原著的語體風格更為接近。

檢視中譯本時，引用馮勝利正式語體理論。馮勝利指出韻律輕重及長短是區辨語體的關鍵。因此，本研究以AntConc、MARKUS、CRIE、CKIP等語料庫工具統計文本的輕聲、功能詞、音節詞數量，並輔以質性分析綜合呈現譯本的語言特色及語體風格。

英文原著部分，英文詞彙及句式對正式度影響甚鉅。本研究以Readability.io檢視原著平均字長、句長，並參照Formality-score、Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level衡量文本整體正式度，兼以Ferenčík詳列的正式及非正式語言特徵進行細部質性分析。

研究最後得出：三本英文原著的正式度都偏低。David Copperfield的林漢達譯本正式度低、思果譯本正式度高，但因缺乏中英正式度級別參照，難以推斷何者與原著風格更接近。The Old Man and the Sea及Slaughterhouse-Five的中譯本，則是余光中及陳枻樵譯本的正式度高，海觀及洛夫譯本的正式度低；後兩者與原著風格較為接近。In the field of literary translation studies, researchers tend to explore the stylistic features of words used in translation in a more subjective manner, in other words, by selecting a few examples from the texts and indicating which terms are more formal and which are more informal.

This thesis argues that language formality can be discussed in a more objective manner. Therefore, based on Feng Shengli’s theories of prosodic grammar and stylistic registers, six Chinese translations rendered from three English novels, namely David Copperfield, The Old Man and the Sea, and Slaughterhouse-Five, are examined. These translations are compared quantitatively, using corpus tools such as AntConc, MARKUS, CRIE and CKIP, and supplemented with qualitative analysis. The translations of David Copperfield are by Lin Honda and Si Guo; The Old Man and the Sea are by Haiguan and Yu Guangzhong; and Slaughterhouse-Five are by Lo Fu and Chen Yi-Chiao.

In addition, the formality levels between the translations and the originals are also compared. To determine the formality levels of the three English originals, indicators such as average word/sentence length, Formality-score and Flesch Kincaid Grade Level are analyzed using the corpus tool Readability io. Textual analysis is also performed based on the formal and informal linguistic features detailed by Ferenčík.

The final results are as follows: the formality levels of all three English novels are low. Concerning the translations of David Copperfield, Lin’s translation is too informal, while Si Guo’s translation is too formal, but it is difficult to infer whose style is closer to the original. Regarding The Old Man and the Sea and Slaughterhouse-Five, Yu’s and Chen’s translations are formal, while Haiguan’s and Lo Fu’s are less formal and hence relatively closer to the originals.