⊙李 鋼[湖南文理學(xué)院外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院, 湖南 常德 415000]
《論語(yǔ)》是中國(guó)歷史上最具權(quán)威性的文獻(xiàn)典籍之一。它對(duì)中國(guó)古代思想和文化產(chǎn)生了巨大的影響,也通過(guò)翻譯對(duì)世界思想和文化產(chǎn)生了巨大的影響。早在16世紀(jì)末,《論語(yǔ)》開(kāi)始被譯為西方語(yǔ)言。1809年,傳教士馬希曼(Joshua Marshman)出版了《論語(yǔ)》的節(jié)譯本《The Works of Confucius》,這是《論語(yǔ)》在英語(yǔ)世界的最早譯介,從此拉開(kāi)了《論語(yǔ)》在英語(yǔ)世界經(jīng)典化的序幕。此后,一大批西方傳教士和漢學(xué)家,以及華人學(xué)者和翻譯家投身到《論語(yǔ)》英譯中。迄今為止,已有四十余個(gè)《論語(yǔ)》英譯本,它們風(fēng)格各異,為儒家文化思想西傳做出了重要的貢獻(xiàn)。本文擬對(duì)1998年由森舸瀾(Edward Slingerland)翻譯的《論語(yǔ)》英譯本《Confucius:Analects》做一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的介紹與評(píng)價(jià)。
該譯本出版后,獲得了學(xué)界的好評(píng)。波士頓大學(xué)的John Berthrong對(duì)該譯本做了如下評(píng)論:“建立在中國(guó)和西方最好的現(xiàn)代和傳統(tǒng)學(xué)術(shù)研究基礎(chǔ)之上,森舸瀾杰出的《論語(yǔ)》新譯——包括每段中的傳統(tǒng)注疏選譯——是一個(gè)受人歡迎的譯本。從孔子傳給弟子的東西中,當(dāng)代讀者會(huì)大受啟發(fā),并且可以分享那種與歷代學(xué)者為鄰的經(jīng)歷,他們都曾苦苦思索過(guò)孔子神秘難懂的話語(yǔ)。森舸瀾在譯文中運(yùn)用的注疏使讀者有機(jī)會(huì)理解和欣賞這部重要的儒家經(jīng)典?!奔永D醽喆髮W(xué)的David Schaberg認(rèn)為:“森舸瀾的《論語(yǔ)》新譯是我們長(zhǎng)久以來(lái)所需要的譯本:準(zhǔn)確、簡(jiǎn)潔,配有有用的注釋和參考材料,包括那些最重要的《論語(yǔ)》注疏的選譯。對(duì)于普通讀者和學(xué)生而言,要理解這部難懂的開(kāi)創(chuàng)性的著作,再也沒(méi)有比這更容易理解和可靠的譯本了。該譯本貢獻(xiàn)巨大,應(yīng)該成為英語(yǔ)讀者喜愛(ài)的入門(mén)書(shū)。”賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)的Paul R.Goldin認(rèn)為森舸瀾的譯本“對(duì)學(xué)生而言,是現(xiàn)今最好的譯本。譯者的哲學(xué)素養(yǎng)顯而易見(jiàn),但他從不在譯文中豪無(wú)根據(jù)地添加西方的觀念和話語(yǔ)方式”?!秶?guó)際中國(guó)書(shū)評(píng)》(China Review International)雜志的Yuet Keung Lo認(rèn)為森舸瀾的譯本“不僅展示了一絲不茍的研究和翻譯藝術(shù),而且為《論語(yǔ)》的研究提供了一個(gè)新的視角,為《論語(yǔ)》翻譯提供了一個(gè)新的模版。我們應(yīng)該祝賀森舸瀾,他為美國(guó)的大學(xué)學(xué)生和學(xué)術(shù)界提供了一項(xiàng)非常寶貴的服務(wù)。從這個(gè)新譯本中我們可以學(xué)到許多東西,我們所有人都應(yīng)該感謝譯者”。
森舸瀾的目標(biāo)讀者主要是普通讀者(nonspecialists)。因此,他在譯文中的每一段后面都選譯了一些中國(guó)歷代注家對(duì)《論語(yǔ)》的各種注疏以及他自己本人的注釋。大多數(shù)情況下,譯文后面的注疏和注釋篇幅遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)大于譯文本身的篇幅,這也構(gòu)成了森舸瀾《論語(yǔ)》譯本的最大特色。森舸瀾指出,至少?gòu)臐h朝起,所有中國(guó)學(xué)者在研讀《論語(yǔ)》時(shí)都有著離不開(kāi)參考各家注疏的傳統(tǒng)。即使是受過(guò)傳統(tǒng)教育、精通古漢語(yǔ)的中國(guó)人都認(rèn)為有必要在前代注疏的基礎(chǔ)上去理解《論語(yǔ)》。他認(rèn)為,《論語(yǔ)》太過(guò)精簡(jiǎn),如果沒(méi)有某些注疏,很難理解其中的內(nèi)容。因此,他覺(jué)得不可思議的是,大多數(shù)的西方讀者閱讀《論語(yǔ)》時(shí),只能依靠“光禿禿”的譯文,加上譯者序言或?yàn)閿?shù)不多的文本注釋?zhuān)米约旱姆绞饺ダ斫膺@本難解的書(shū)。他引用了John Makeham的“骨”和“肉”的比喻來(lái)說(shuō)明了注疏對(duì)于論語(yǔ)的重要性:《論語(yǔ)》文本是骨,注疏是肉;有了注疏,論語(yǔ)才有了生命。因此,他在譯文中大量選譯歷代各家注疏,以便讓讀者在閱讀《論語(yǔ)》時(shí),能夠感覺(jué)到自己坐在一位朋友身邊,這位朋友精通古漢語(yǔ),對(duì)于如何閱讀《論語(yǔ)》有著自己的見(jiàn)解。他瀏覽大量有關(guān)《論語(yǔ)》的注疏,不時(shí)談?wù)撘恍?duì)于理解《論語(yǔ)》有所幫助和啟發(fā)的東西,并且可以為用英語(yǔ)對(duì)《論語(yǔ)》做進(jìn)一步的研究提供建議。簡(jiǎn)言之,森舸瀾想通過(guò)大量的注疏選譯以及他本人的注釋?zhuān)瑤椭x者理解《論語(yǔ)》這部深邃著作里透露出的孔子的儒家思想。請(qǐng)看下例:
[原文]子禽問(wèn)于子貢曰:“夫子至于是邦也,必聞其政。求之與?抑與之與?”子貢曰:“夫子溫、良、恭、儉、讓以得之。夫子之求之也,其諸異乎人之求之與?”(《學(xué)而第一》)
[Version]Zixia asked Zigong,“When our Master arrives in a state,he invariably finds out about its government.Does he actively seek out this information?Surely it is not simply offered to him!”
Zigong answered,“Our Master obtains it through being courteous, refined, respectful, restrained ad deferential.The Master’s way of seeking it is entirely different from other people’s way of seeking it,is it not?”
Huang Kan believes the point of this passage to be that the quality of rulership in a state is revealed in the sentiment of the common people,to which Confucius was particularly sensitive because of his virtuous nature.Rulers thus“give away”this information inadvertently to one as attuned as Confucius,who therefore does not have to make inquiries in the ordinary fashion.Zhu Xi believes that it is the rulers who,drawn by the power of the Master’s virtue,actively seek Confucius out to discuss the problems of governance.In any case,the point seems to be that Confucius “sought it in himself,not in others”(15.21)or that(as Lu Longqi puts it)“the sage seeks things by means of virtue,unlike ordinary people who seek things with their minds.”That is,while ordinary people consciously and deliberately pursue external goals,the sage focuses his attention upon his own inner virtue and allows external things to come to him naturally.Confucius does not actively pry or seek out information,but is perfected in virtue that what he seeks comes to him unbidden,in a wu-wei fashion.(Edward Slingerland 2003:4-5)
上例中,森舸瀾選譯了黃侃、朱熹和陸隴其三人對(duì)《學(xué)而第一》篇中的第十章的注疏,并加上了自己對(duì)該章的理解,其注疏選譯和注釋的篇幅三倍于《論語(yǔ)》譯文。這些注疏和注釋提煉了該章所要表達(dá)的中心思想,對(duì)于讀者而言無(wú)疑是理解這段話的指路明燈。
此外,為了便于讀者理解譯文,森舸瀾在每一篇譯文的前面對(duì)該篇內(nèi)容都做了一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的介紹,以便讀者能夠?qū)υ撈膬?nèi)容主旨有一個(gè)基本的了解。例如,在《里仁第四》譯文的開(kāi)篇,森舸瀾寫(xiě)了一段介紹文字:
文中基于可變尺度池化和雙線性插值提出了尺度可變網(wǎng)絡(luò),使得卷積神經(jīng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)可以支持不同尺度的輸入,消減了圖像剪裁和縮放對(duì)模型性能的影響。實(shí)驗(yàn)表明在CompCars細(xì)粒度車(chē)型分類(lèi)任務(wù)中,基于本文提出的尺度可變網(wǎng)絡(luò)的模型,在不同尺度下平均分類(lèi)準(zhǔn)確度提升5%。
Many of the passages in this book concern the supreme virtue of Goodness.Those who are truly Good love the Confucian Way and embody it in an wu-wei fashion-completely unselfconsciously and effortlessly-as opposed to those who pursue the Way because of ulterior motives.Such true gentlemen require nothing from the world but the genuine joy and satisfaction they derive from virtue,as opposed to “petty people”who are motivate by considerations of profit or other external goods.This Book also contain a series of statements(4.19-4.21)on filial piety that flesh out the treatment in Book One.(Edward Slingerland 2003:29)
通過(guò)這段介紹文字,讀者在閱讀該篇譯文時(shí)能夠抓住“仁”和“孝”這兩條主線,很好地理解孔子所提倡的“無(wú)為”思想。
盡管森舸瀾翻譯《論語(yǔ)》時(shí)將讀者理解放在第一位,在譯文中為讀者提供各種各樣方便讀者理解的背景信息,語(yǔ)言表達(dá)盡量采取符合英語(yǔ)讀者接受的表達(dá)方式,但是,他在關(guān)照讀者理解的同時(shí)非常注重在譯文中保留原文里的中國(guó)文化成分,這可以從以下幾個(gè)方面體現(xiàn)出來(lái)。
首先翻譯《論語(yǔ)》時(shí),森舸瀾采取了意譯加音譯加漢語(yǔ)原文再加注釋的四重翻譯法對(duì)其中的儒家哲學(xué)核心詞匯或其他一些中國(guó)特色詞匯進(jìn)行了譯介,即除了意譯和注釋外,他還在譯文中附上漢語(yǔ)原文和音譯,這樣一來(lái)可以順應(yīng)讀者的接受習(xí)慣,二來(lái)可以保留原文的中國(guó)文化成分。例如:
[原文]:“仲由、冉求可謂大臣與?”子曰:“吾以子為異之問(wèn),曾由與求之問(wèn)。所謂大臣者:以道事君,不可則止。今由與求也,可謂具臣矣?!保ā断冗M(jìn)第十一》)
[Version]Ji Ziran asked,“Could Zilu and Ran Qiu be considered great ministers?”
The Master replied,“I thought you were going to ask about some exceptional individuals,but instead you always ask about Zilu and Ran Qiu!What we call‘great ministers’are those who seek to serve their lord by means of the Way,and who resign if unable to do so.Now,Zilu and Ran Qiu are what we might call‘useful minsters’(juchen 具臣).”
[Note]Juchen means literally “tool-ministers”(c.f.2.12,“the gentleman is not a vessel”).Confucius probably means to imply that Zilu and Ran Qiu are minimally competent in carrying out the official duties required of them but lack the moral vision of a great minister.As we see immediately below,Ji Ranzi apparently mistakes him to mean that Zilu and Ran Qiu are“tools”that can be easily manipulated.(Edward Slingerland 2003:121)
其次,對(duì)于《論語(yǔ)》中某些表示中國(guó)古代特殊物件的詞語(yǔ),森舸瀾采取了音譯加漢語(yǔ)原文再加注釋的三重翻譯法,在關(guān)照讀者理解能力的基礎(chǔ)上最大限度保留原文的中國(guó)文化成分。例如:
[原文]子貢問(wèn)曰:“賜也何如?”
子曰:“女,器也。”
曰:“何器也?”
曰:“瑚璉也。”(《公冶長(zhǎng)第五》)
[Version]Zigong asked,“What do you think of me?”
The Master replied,“You are a vessel.”
“What sort of vessel?”
“A hu瑚 or lian璉vessel.”
[Note]Of course, “the gentleman is not a vessel”(2.12)-i.e.the true gentleman is more than a mere specialist.According to commentators,the hu and lian were precious jade food-offering vessels that were the most important ritual vessels in the ancestral temples of the Xia and Shang dynasties,respectively.Commentators point out that Confucius’elaboration is double-edged:comforting,in that Zigong is no ordinary vessel,but perhaps even more critical because the hu and lian vessels were both archaic curiosities (no longer used in the Zhou rites)and extremely specialized(thus seldom used even during Xia and Shang times)….(Edward Slingerland 2003:40)
森舸瀾翻譯《論語(yǔ)》時(shí)充分考慮到了英語(yǔ)讀者的理解能力。首先,他在譯文中的每一段后面都選譯了一些中國(guó)歷代注家對(duì)《論語(yǔ)》的各種注疏以及他自己本人的注釋?zhuān)员銕椭x者理解《論語(yǔ)》這部深邃著作里透露出的孔子的儒家思想;其次,他每一篇譯文的前面對(duì)該篇內(nèi)容做一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單的介紹,以便讀者能夠?qū)υ撈膬?nèi)容主旨有一個(gè)基本的了解。同時(shí)他盡力在譯文中保持中國(guó)文化成分。首先,翻譯《論語(yǔ)》時(shí),森舸瀾采取了意譯加音譯加漢語(yǔ)原文再加注釋的四重翻譯法對(duì)其中的儒家哲學(xué)核心詞匯或其他一些中國(guó)特色詞匯進(jìn)行了譯介;其次,對(duì)于《論語(yǔ)》中某些表示中國(guó)古代特殊物件的詞語(yǔ),森舸瀾采取了音譯加漢語(yǔ)原文再加注釋的三重翻譯法。
[1]Edward Slingerland.Confucius:Analects[Z].Indianapolis:Hackett Publishing Press,2003.