語料庫輔助下的王際真翻譯風格研究

Abstract

華裔翻譯家王際真對中國文學在英語世界傳播有著「播火」之功，其翻譯生涯超越了半個世紀，為中國文學英譯事業做出了巨大貢獻。譯者作為翻譯活動的主體，肩負著延續原作生命、傳播源語文化的使命。隨著翻譯理論的發展及翻譯研究的進一步加深，譯者的翻譯活動主體性及創造性得到了相當的重視，譯者風格研究也逐步成為翻譯研究的焦點之一。文章對王際真的整體譯作進行梳理，採用語料庫實證研究與質性考察相結合的研究方式，以描寫翻譯學及語料庫翻譯學等相關理論為指導，根據王際真譯作特點將其劃分為全譯和非全譯兩類文本，建立王際真譯作語料庫，提出相關研究假設，對王氏譯作展開宏觀層面量性考察和微觀層面個案分析相結合的研究，進而探究王際真的翻譯風格特點。宏觀層面，在對比原文的基礎上，分別從詞彙、句子和語篇層面對王氏不同時期譯作翻譯傾向及特點展開分析與討論，發現王氏譯作用詞較為簡單且通俗易懂，有著較強的口語化及簡化傾向，便於譯文讀者閱讀、理解。兩類文本在語序調整方面呈現出相異趨勢，敘事視角方面也大相徑庭，在詈罵語言使用方面卻高度統一，對原文中的詈罵用語以省略或簡述譯法處理，體現出翻譯中國語言文化時所擁有的民族語言榮耀心理，力圖保持譯文語言的純淨，保留譯文讀者對中國語言文化的積極想像。譯本註釋使用方面，兩類文本均較為重視原文中稱謂語信息在異語語境中的傳播問題，建構了較為獨特的稱謂語翻譯體系。相較於王氏早期譯作，王氏中、後、晚期譯作較為重視原文中的文化信息傳達問題，往往在註釋中增加文化現象解釋及譯者評論內容。微觀層面，對王氏譯作展開橫向、縱向及歷時層面的個案對比分析，發現王氏全譯文本中詞彙豐富程度、多樣性和用語複雜程度不高，閱讀難度較低，翻譯顯化特徵較為明顯，譯文的翻譯靈活性及自由度較高，與原文呈現出一種動態的照應趨勢。非全譯文本方面，王氏譯作詞彙密度、語言豐富程度和句子長度均不高，可讀性更強，與全譯文本相似，但在語篇層面卻重翻譯交際效果，輕語言形式表達，重視直接引語的使用及情節的銜接與連貫問題，故事情節集中，人物衝突明顯。歷時視角來看，王氏晚期譯作用詞精准度、語言流暢度、詞彙豐富程度更高，更為注意文化信息的解釋及補償。王際真的翻譯風格受到了贊助、主流意識形態及詩學等方面的影響。王氏早期翻譯活動中所形成的翻譯風格特點在很大程度上影響了王氏中、後乃至晚期的翻譯行為，使得王氏不同時期的翻譯風格呈現出動態性和相對特定性的特徵。Chi-Chen Wang has made great contributions to the spread of Chinese literature in the English-speaking world, and his translation career has lasted for more than half a century. As the main body of translation activities, translators bear the mission of continuing the life of the original work and spreading the culture of the original language. With the development of translation theories and the further deepening of translation studies, the subjectivity and creativity of the translator’s have been given considerable attention, and the study of translator style has gradually become one of the focuses of translation studies. The paper, combed through Chi-Chen Wang's translations and adopted the research method of combining corpus empirical research and qualitative investigation, divided Chi-Chen Wang's translations into two categories of complete translated and partially translated texts according to the characteristics of translations. The author built up a corpus of Chi-Chen Wang's translations, put forward relevant research hypotheses, and, using relevant theories of descriptive and corpus translation as a guideline, launched a quantitative analysis of Wang's translations on the macroscopic level and a case study on the micro-level. in order to explore the characteristics of Wang's translation style. At the macro level, the article analyzed and discussed the tendency and characteristics of Wang's translations in different periods in terms of vocabulary, sentences and discourses. It is found that Wang's translations are simple in terms of vocabulary, easy to understand, with a strong tendency to be colloquial and simplified. The two types oftexts show different trends in terms of sequencing and discourse adjustments, but they are highly unified in the use of vulgar insulting language, omitting or briefly translating the vulgar and cursing terms in the original text, which reflects the psychology of safeguarding the honour of the national language in translating Chinese language and culture. In terms of the use of annotations, both types of texts paid more attention to the problem of the transmission of nominal information in Chinese society in a foreign language context, and constructed a relatively unique nominal translation system. Compared with Wang's early translations, Wang's middle and late translations pay more attention to the transmission of cultural information in the original texts, and often add explanations of cultural phenomena and translators' comments in the annotations. At the micro level, Wang's complete translated texts are less rich in vocabulary richness and diversity, and less difficult to read, showing obvious features of explicitation. And the translation is more flexible and free, showing a dynamic tendency to correspond to the original text. As for the partially translated text, Wang's translation shows similar characteristics to the complete translated text in terms of vocabulary, with less richness in vocabulary density and stronger readability. However, Wang’s partially translated texts are more concerned with the communicative effect of translation at the discourse level and less concerned with the formal expression of language, the storyline is focused and the conflict of characters is obvious. From a historical perspective, Wang's late translations are more accurate in terminology, more fluent in language, and pay more attention to the interpretation and compensation of cultural information.Wang's translation style was influenced by mainstream ideology, patronage and poetics. The characteristics of Wang's early translation activities largely influenced Wang's translation behaviour in the middle, later and even the late period of his translation career, making Wang’s translation style in different periods show dynamic and relative stable characteristics.