文/林巍
此次為世界范圍內(nèi)的首屆中醫(yī)翻譯比賽,得到各大專院校師生及廣大中醫(yī)翻譯愛好者的積極響應,共收到454份有效參賽譯文(數(shù)十份無效譯文)。經(jīng)過暨南大學翻譯學院嚴格的匿名初評,篩選出30份入圍作品,交到北京參加復評和終評。由各方中醫(yī)翻譯專家組成的終評委員會,經(jīng)過認真細致地分析、審核、評估,最后評出二、三等獎(一等獎空缺)和優(yōu)秀獎。值得指出的是,有三位獲獎者未繳納參賽費或未提供聯(lián)絡(luò)方式,因而根據(jù)大賽規(guī)則被取消資格,實屬遺憾。
大賽結(jié)果已由世界中醫(yī)藥學會網(wǎng)站公布。
大賽原文為筆者所寫的中醫(yī)普及性文章,看似平淺,但蘊含了中醫(yī)學的基本屬性和特征,既需語言翻譯能力,又需一定專業(yè)知識。針對參賽譯文中的主要問題,現(xiàn)從以下三個方面加以分析點評。
段[1]中,“不是一般意義上的醫(yī)學”,參賽者一般譯成“… is not considered in a general sense” “is not a common medicine” “is not just common medicine, as is often referred to, but a kind of culture”等,固然可以接受,但推敲起來,不夠準確??v觀歷史,西方也有傳統(tǒng)醫(yī)學,主要是由古希臘希波克拉底(Hippocrates)奠定的古典西方醫(yī)學,但從16世紀人體解剖學的建立,到17世紀物理學、化學知識對醫(yī)學的滲透,醫(yī)學家通過實際觀察和實驗來研究人體的疾病問題,從而逐步形成了科學醫(yī)學體系,一般譯為scienti fic medicine,以有別于其他醫(yī)學體系,如之后的“循證醫(yī)學”(evidence-based medicine)等。
段[5]中,“中醫(yī)醫(yī)生”多被譯成了Chinese doctor,其實有誤。在西方,西醫(yī)被稱為orthodox medicine(正統(tǒng)醫(yī)學),這與其說是醫(yī)學的分類,不如說是一種社會文化的認知(即為社會大眾所認可),而中醫(yī)屬于alternative medicine (complementary medicine, fringe medicine),即另類醫(yī)學,或補救醫(yī)學、替代醫(yī)學等。西方權(quán)威的醫(yī)學詞典Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary對此解釋如下:the various systems of healing, including homeopathy, herbal remedies,hypnosis, and faith healing, that are not regarded as part of orthodox treatment by the medical profession, especially when offered by unregistered practitioners.…The extent to which individual registered practitioners indulge in or spurn these therapies varies enormously but is governed by the overriding principle that shared care is only permitted if the registered practitioner remains in overall control; this is often unacceptable to those practicing alternative medicine. (Martin A. Elizabeth, 2000: 49)(包括順勢療法、草藥、催眠法及信仰療法等各種治療體系,被醫(yī)學界摒除在正統(tǒng)醫(yī)學之外,特別是那些未注冊的行醫(yī)者。當正統(tǒng)療法無效時,慢性病或不治之癥患者便去嘗試這些大部分未經(jīng)證實的療法?!粗挥性谧葬t(yī)師主導下,才能進行與另類醫(yī)學的配合治療,而另類醫(yī)學的治療師對此又往往不能接受。)這段論述,不但界定了西醫(yī)(正統(tǒng)醫(yī)學)和中醫(yī)(一種另類醫(yī)學),而且可以看到對中醫(yī)醫(yī)生的稱謂——practitioner或medical practitioner,而以筆者在國外的實踐,在某種情況下還可稱為doctor of Chinese medicine(下文亦有所涉及)。
同樣在[5]中,對于“疾病”,參賽者使用了illness、sickness、ailment、malady、disease等,似乎都有道理,但應選擇在此種語境中最恰當?shù)摹澳且粋€”。分析起來,illness主要是指not feeling well,如“生病期間,她在家由私人教師輔導?!保⊿he was tutored at home during her illness.);而sickness意為the state of being ill or unhealthy,與illness類似;ailment則為“小病”(not serious illness),如“The pharmacist can assist you with the treatment of common ailments.”(藥劑師只能幫助你治療日常小病。);相比之下,malady則為any unwholesome or desperate condition,即更嚴重的疾病,但現(xiàn)在更常用在社會方面,指a serious problem in society(社會頑疾)等。就(中醫(yī)醫(yī)生眼里的)“疾病”而言,不同于上述這些,而是一種general disorder,即disease,專業(yè)醫(yī)學詞典釋為:a disorder with a speci fic cause and recognizable signs and symptoms; any bodily abnormality or failure to function properly, except that resulting directly from physical injury (the latter, however,may open the way for disease).(Martin, 2000:459)(有某種特定病因并有可識別的體征和癥狀的病癥,包括任何軀體畸形或不能正常發(fā)揮的功能,但不包括物理性損傷〈盡管后者可導致疾病〉。)故disease最為恰當(同樣適用于[2] [4])。但在[7]中,“……(產(chǎn)生)病癥(的心理與情緒)”,則又不妨譯為malady。
段[2]中的“(這主要是由中醫(yī)的)形成和理念所決定”,參賽者一般譯成了“… which is mainly determined by its formation and concepts”“…which is mainly decided by the development and idea of TCM”“It is attributed to the formation of traditional Chinese medicine as well as its concepts”等。其實,這里的“形成”是一個歷史過程,有的用了“… how TCM came into being”,比較得要義,或可用“… based on its traditions(and ideas)”,盡管在字面上好像相距遠一些,但比較起來,在內(nèi)涵上則是最接近的。
實際上,該文處處從一種比較的角度來闡述問題:說中醫(yī)不是一般意義上的醫(yī)學([1]),主要是相對西醫(yī)而言的;把人看成是解剖器官的是西醫(yī),而中醫(yī)則更看重人的因素([2]);而試圖以現(xiàn)代學科的分類來界定中醫(yī)學,也是很難的,會得出不同的結(jié)論([4]),這也是以西醫(yī)為標準的;中醫(yī)對于“病”的理念,西醫(yī)也是不認同的([5][6][7]),等等。故相應的翻譯也應有對比意識,如用“while… but…”“from the point of view, … however, …”“…regard … , in a way …”等一些對比式介詞、句式。其中,由比較得鑒別,非類比但有對比,以表示兩種不同性質(zhì)的醫(yī)學,如[5]中的“病變”,中醫(yī)里并無恰當?shù)膶~,故不妨用西醫(yī)中的學科術(shù)語pathology。同時,在語言、語境層面,還要作出許多變通與融合。
參賽譯文中的許多譯法顯得比較生硬、僵化或有“字典痕跡”。這既有語言也有理解上的問題,故需在翻譯中加以磨合和變通。
就標題“中醫(yī):一門人的系統(tǒng)醫(yī)學”而言,參賽者大都將其中的“人的系統(tǒng)醫(yī)學”譯成了A Systematic Medicine Concerning Human body、A Systemic Medicine for Humans、A Systems Medicine of Human、A Systemic Medicine for Humans、A Human-oriented Medical Science、A Systems Medicine of Human、A Systematic Medical Science about Human、A Systematic Medical Science about Human等,顯然是將“人的系統(tǒng)醫(yī)學”看成了“人的”“系統(tǒng)醫(yī)學”,實則應理解為“人的系統(tǒng)”“醫(yī)學”,即是將人看成一個系統(tǒng)(即中醫(yī)的核心理念),而且應當加上“醫(yī)治”之意,同時詞語上應避免重復medicine。有的參賽者具有這種意識,如譯成An All-round Therapy for Human、A Systemic Medicine of Treating Human Diseases、A Theraputic Approach for People等,但不妨進一步明確:“Traditional Chinese Medicine: Treating the Human System”。這種變通雖然在語言層面上看似不對等,但卻在實際內(nèi)涵中更加相符。
在原文中有許多不同的“人”“病人”“人體”“人的因素”等,但其“人”卻未必都是同樣的英文對應詞,需詳加辨析,變通處理。例如,[2]中“把人看作是解剖器官”,其中的“人”大都被譯成了man、people、human等,但分析起來,man與human都主要指與自然或其他物種的區(qū)別,如:①在老子看來,天人合一,人成于道。(According to Lao Zi, man and nature are united as one in essence, and man cultivates himself as cultivating the nature in the Dao.) ② Some animals possess the characteristic of man.(有些動物具有人的特征。)③畢竟我們都是人。(After all, we are human.)當然,man有時也泛指“正常人”,如:No man in his senses would have done so.(沒有一個神志清醒的人會這樣做。)但是,這些卻不是此處“人”的性質(zhì);此處是解剖學意義上的“人”,故可用human body,更具客觀性。
至于“人(處次要地位)”,參賽譯文也以human/humans居多。其實,這里強調(diào)的是醫(yī)生眼里活生生的人,即“a human being, considered as someone with their own particular character”,故應為person,既是客觀的,也是主觀的“人”,如:人的情緒對于人的疾病和健康有著非常微妙而深刻的影響。(A person’s mood has some subtle and profound effects on his or her health and conditions.)而下面的“人(在治療過程占主導地位)”,雖性質(zhì)依然,由于是對中醫(yī)的治療理念而言的,故不妨將其擴展為the person as a whole,以使這一概念更加完整;同樣,[5]中的“治病的根本在治人”中的“人”,也可比照處理。
“人(的因素決定一切)”,有的譯成man’s factors、person as a factor等,實質(zhì)可為human factors、personal factors,但在醫(yī)療語境下,更常用的是human conditions,如:①他身體健康。(He is in good condition.)②The doctors describe his condition as serious and say he is very lucky still to be alive.(醫(yī)生說他病情嚴重,能活著已經(jīng)很幸運了。)
段[8]中,“人體狀況”更突出了這種性質(zhì),不過為強調(diào)其具體性,不妨譯為individual human conditions。但是,[7]中的“人(的所有因素)”,涉及到的又不只是醫(yī)學問題,還有人的心理、情緒等,故不妨又以human factors為宜。與此相關(guān)的,[2]中的“將疾病與患者的生命相分離”,其中的“生命”一般都譯成了patient’s life,固然不錯,但在醫(yī)學語境里,這里不是一般的生命狀態(tài),而是一種病人的身心狀況,如“醫(yī)務人員要對病人的生命負責。”(Medical staff are responsible for the well-being of their patients.),故以well-being更宜。
然而,[4]中的“既是人為的,又是自然的”,參賽者又多將其譯成這樣一種關(guān)系,如man-made and natural、man-made factors and nature、arti ficial or natural、 human and nature等;其實,這里更多強調(diào)的是主觀與客觀,故不妨用 objective and subjective等。與此相關(guān)的,[3]中的“人與自然服從同一法則”,許多參賽者翻譯成obey、rely、abide by、obey to、submit to、comply with等,但這些詞都有be obedient to authority之意,用于“人”是可以的,但用于“自然”顯然不合適?!独献印分杏芯涿?,“人法地,地法天,天法道,道法自然”,可譯為:Man follows the ways of Earth;Earth follows the ways of Heaven; Heaven follows the ways ofDao;Daofollows its own ways. 此中的follow用得很自然,其義為“do the same as …”,故此處不妨譯為both humans and nature are bound to follow theDao(the rule of the universe),其中括號內(nèi)進一步說明Dao的性質(zhì)。
段[5]中,“病人整體機制出現(xiàn)了某種失衡”,其中的“機制”多被譯成了mechanism,但此處應考慮在醫(yī)學界、生物界更適用的詞語,即organism,其意為a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently,該處不妨譯為a loss of balance in an organism。
一些看似簡單的詞語,若不加認真考量,也會有偏差。如[7]中“……但卻看不到產(chǎn)生病癥的心理與情緒”,其中的“心理”譯成psychological factors、psychic 等,“情緒”成了mood、sentiment等,似乎都欠準確,不如the mentalities and emotions更恰當。[8]中的“單純的醫(yī)學”譯成pure medical science,固然不能算錯,但有更多的研究學術(shù)味道,pure medicine更符合大眾眼中的一種療法;而[2]中的“(病癥永遠不會是)局部的”多被譯成了localized、localization等,而local的本義為“existing in or belonging to the area where you live, or to the area that you are talking about”,顯然用此概念過大。
類似的,[4]中的“以現(xiàn)代學科的分類來界定中醫(yī)學”,一般譯成“…to define the Chinese medicine by the classification of modern science”“…define TCM in accordance with modern classifications of disciplines”“… to de fine TCM in line with classi fication of modern disciplines”等,固然都是不錯的;然而,就性質(zhì)而論的,亦可用“… in modern scienti fic terms”,即以那種對待科學學科的理解來界定中醫(yī)。
同時,在詞序上也不必過分拘泥于原文,如[3]中“人既是自然的產(chǎn)物,又是自然的延伸和精華”,其中“延伸”和“精華”的邏輯重要性是中國式的思維,而在英文里順序則是相反的,如“… as a natural product, is also the quintessence and an extension of nature”等。在[5]中,“……這在西醫(yī)是不可以、也不愿意解釋的,但卻被越來越多的事實所證明”,參賽譯文一般譯成“… which is not acceptable and refused to be explained by western medicine, but has more and more been proved by the facts”等;其實,亦不妨以英文的思維變通詞序,如“… —this phenomenon has increasingly been supported by the facts, but WM finds it hard to accept and explain”,從而捋順其輕重緩急。
縱觀參賽者的譯文,有些句子固然翻譯出來了,但比較零碎,不夠通暢——主要是指在思維上需要加以整合,從而寫出更加地道的句式。
例如,[4]中的“人們試圖以現(xiàn)代學科的分類來界定中醫(yī)學,但發(fā)現(xiàn)很難”被普遍譯成“People tried to clarify the modern science to de fine traditional Chinese medicine, but have found it is very dif ficult …”“People try to de fine the traditional Chinese medicine with the classification of modern disciplines.However, the process is dif ficult because”“An attempt to dignify TCM as the categorization of modern disciplines is hardly available, since it …”等,似乎在字面上很“忠實”,但這是中文的思維,需在根本上重新組織,不妨改譯為“It is thus dif ficult to de fine TCM in modern scienti fic terms, ...”。接下來,“人是復雜的綜合體……辯證地加以考慮”一句,出于中文“意合”的特點,此段文字中的一些概念和句式在翻譯中需加厘清和梳理。具體而言,“復雜的綜合體,介乎……之間”,比較典型的譯文,如“a complicated combination—it situates somewhere among natural science, social science and philosophy—…”“Humans are complex in that they are natural, social and philosophical at the same time”等,其中“綜合體”似都沒有體現(xiàn)出來,應該是一種entity、synthesis、unity、body等,而“介乎……之間”的實質(zhì)是“其中有/綜合了……這些成分”,顯然不是among、between、in the mist of 之類的,而是synchronize、combine、coordinate等?!熬植康摹薄罢w的”似乎又不完全對應part and whole、local and general等?!靶枰喾健⒕C合、辯證地加以考慮”,指的是中醫(yī)的“構(gòu)成中醫(yī)的核心內(nèi)涵”,應體現(xiàn)在kernel、essence、core values等核心詞上。
[3]中的“因而人與自然服從同一法則——道”,一般譯成了“Thus,men and nature observe the same principle—Dao”“so people and nature obey the same law—Tao”“Therefore, both humanity and the nature abide by the same set of rules known as Tao”等,固然都有可取之處,但鑒于通篇所講的自然與人體的客觀規(guī)律,這里不妨加以引申“to follow theDao(the rule of the universe)”, 也是一種通融。特別是“人道依存于天道,天道服務于人道”,一般容易譯得繁雜冗贅,如“the law of humans depends on that of heaven while the latter serves the former”“Human’s principle relies on the nature’s and the latter one serves the former one”“Human Tao depends on Heaven Tao,while Heaven Tao serves Human Tao”等;其實可不必轉(zhuǎn)換主語,而“一以貫之”:the heavenlyDaobegets as well as serves the humanDao…
回到上文所述[1]中的關(guān)于“……不是一般意義上的醫(yī)學”,將其譯成“(As a culture, traditional Chinese medicine is), in fact, not a medicine in its general sense”“… not a common medicine …”“… not a commonly regarded medicine”等,再自然不過。然而,如果通觀全文,便會發(fā)現(xiàn),本文所論述的是中醫(yī)不僅僅是一種醫(yī)學,而且涉及到哲學、文化、人學等,故整句不妨譯為: As a culture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is normally considered far more than medicine for people.所以,原文的第一段,往往宜放到最后翻譯,以收統(tǒng)覽全局之效。
此外,一些細節(jié)上的問題,如漏譯題目、格式混亂、不分段落、標點錯誤、字體怪異等,亦應引起注意,這些其實也是專業(yè)水平的一部分。
總之,就首屆世界中醫(yī)大賽而言,參賽者的熱情和總體水平都值得肯定;以上問題亦可出現(xiàn)在其他專業(yè)的翻譯之中——翻譯質(zhì)量的提高永無止境。我們有足夠的信心,期待在接續(xù)下來的歷屆大賽中,涌現(xiàn)出更多高水準的譯文。 □