吳明益《複眼人》小說英譯本中的語言轉換策略與語意轉變

Abstract

近年來臺灣在國際上的能見度越來越高，而臺灣文學外譯作為語言推廣與文化輸出的重要媒介，無疑是以文字及故事讓世界更深刻認識我們的有力方式。2011年臺灣出現首部透過國際版權交易以商業模式售出的作品，經由版權經紀人居中斡旋，成功讓英語世界主流出版社購入全球英文版權，可說是臺灣文學外譯史上重大的里程碑。此部作品即是本論文主要探究的文本——吳明益的長篇小說作品《複眼人》與譯者石岱崙翻譯的英文譯本The Man with the Compound Eyes。透過仔細比對原文與譯文，探析譯者在語言轉換的過程面臨中英差異或不可譯性時，使用了哪些策略與手段去重現原文帶有的色彩與文中隱含的文化，以劉宓慶提出的語際轉換十三項變通手段分析。由於此部小說涉及了相當多元的文化與族群，本論文列出譯文中使用多重變通手段來轉換文句的案例以及原文中出現不易轉換的特殊語詞，探究譯者如何採取不同的方式因應，面對轉換上的障礙是否會選擇犧牲部分語意或是最大程度保留原文樣貌，並且進一步探討上述譯句在語意上的轉變。整體看來，譯者在翻譯時透過結合多重的變通手段來跨越兩語言的鴻溝，大部分情況以譯文可讀性為首要考量，傾向跳脫原文束縛，將原句訊息與邏輯重新組織，使得語句更為自然通順，但這樣的做法也讓部分原文與譯文在閱讀的節奏上產生差異，讓作者為角色或情節所鋪陳的細節與情感被淡化或隱藏了。不過譯者在翻譯過程中本來就不可避免地會添入些許自己的聲音與詮釋，而《複眼人》英譯本很大程度地再現了原著獨有的色彩，字裡行間都真切地傳達了原著豐富的生氣與真摯的情感。A crucial medium for language promotion and cultural export, the translation of Taiwan literature is a powerful means for the world to learn more about Taiwan, especially as it has gained greater recognition on the global stage in recent years. In 2011, Taiwan witnessed its first novel commercially sold to an English prestige publisher. Facilitated by a literary agent, this achievement marked a significant milestone in the history of literary translation in Taiwan. This work, Wu Ming-Yi's The Man with the Compound Eyes, and its English translation by Darryl Sterk are the primary focus of this thesis. Through a close comparison of the original text with its English translation, this study explores the strategies and techniques employed by the translator to address differences and untranslatability between the languages. Through the thirteen strategic means of translation proposed by Michael Miching Liu, it aims to analyze how the translator presents the original text’s nuancesand embedded cultural elements. Since the novel involves a diverse array of cultures and ethnicities, this study enumerates examples where multiple strategic means are used during the translation process, as well as culturally or linguistically unique terms that are challenging to render. It examines how the translator responded to the obstacles, whether by sacrificing certain meanings or striving to preserve the original text, and further investigates the semantic shifts in the translation. Overall, the translator sought to bridge the gap between the two languages by adopting multiple strategic means within sentences. In most cases, readability was prioritized. The translator often broke away from the constraints of the original text and reorganized the message to make it sound natural and smooth. However, such approaches can lead to a discrepancy in the reading rhythm between the original and translated texts and sometimes diminish the details and emotions laid out by the author for the characters or plots. Such differences highlight how a translator inevitably infuses some of their own voice and understanding of a text into a translation. The English translation of this novel successfully captured the unique essence of the original, effectively conveying its vibrant energy and genuine emotions.