评《牡丹亭》英译本
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摘要
翻译是跨文化交际中不可缺少的工具。然而在交际过程中，语言及文化差异给翻译带来了种种障碍。有人甚至认为翻译过程中困难重重，根本无法完成，尤其像《牡丹亭》这类文学作品。《牡丹亭》是中国古典文学名著之一，其中丰富的文化因素及其特殊的文学特征给译者带来了相当大的困难。
本文首先简要介绍原文及作者，然后结合奈达的功能对等理论对译本作详细的评述，从而证明此理论在文学翻译中的实用性，并说明在正确理解原文的前提下结合适当的翻译技巧，可以实现翻译的对等。
本文共分五个部分。第一章简要介绍原著及作者。原著文学形式独特，属于“曲”(明朝时有地方称其为“传奇”)，讲述的是南安太守之女杜丽娘一病不起，怀春而死后又复生的离奇经历。此传奇旨在反映当时新兴的人文主义思想与顽固的封建道德思想进行抗争这一主题。
第二章首先简述翻译对等的历史，之后对奈达的功能对等理论进行较为详细的阐述。开头和结尾部分则分别强调了正确理解原文的重要性和翻译的简单步骤。
第三章分别从语义、风格、文化和戏剧形式四个方面对英译本进行了评论。在语义层次，分所指意义和联想意义两部分评论(联想意义可进一步划分为内涵意义，社会意义及情感意义)，之后从含蓄和明确两
A STUDY OF THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE PEONY砂WILION
个角度评译本风格。第三部分以文化对等的两个原则为指导，从习俗、
节日、社会概念、佛教和道教用语以及神话传说等七个方面探讨译本对
原著文化因素的处理，而最后一部分则试着评论译者最难以处理的部分
—复杂的戏剧形式。
在最后一章，即第四章中，重点集中在分析译本中存在的问题。这
些问题可大致分为三类:翻译不足、翻译过头和翻译错误，并简要分析
了造成这些问题的原因。结论部分重申了值得注意的几点:
1.完全对等是不可能的。翻译过程中总有信息丢失或“扭曲”
现象存在，翻译的目标之一便是将其控制在最小。
2.翻译成功有否与对原文的正确分析密切相关。清楚原文表达
的重点才能有比较贴切的翻译。
3.任何词汇以至结构的含义都离不开上下文。最符合上下文的
词义才是正确的词义。
4.翻译涉及两种文化之间的信息传递，特殊困难由此而生。但
文化因素并非不可译，关键要把握对等与可理解性之间的
“度”。
5.形式作为涵义的载体，也具有起特殊的内涵。形式译的好，
通篇翻译为之增色;反之，会影响到意义的表达。
As a means of communication, translation plays an important role in cross-cultural exchange. However, the linguistic and cultural differences pose untold difficulties to literary translation. Some even think the barriers to effective translation are so enormous as to make the translation equivalence almost impossible, especially in translating literary works like The Peony Pavilion, one of the ancient Chinese literary classics. All its notable features, from the versed lyrics to its unique form, can cause serious problems to an effective rendition.
This thesis starts by briefly introducing the background and features of the original works, then makes a detailed study of its English version in light of Nida's functional equivalence and draws a conclusion that through combination of proper skills acquired through practices, correct understanding of the contextual meaning and functional equivalence theory, cross-cultural communication can be achieved, and the feasibility of the theory can be proved as well.
This thesis falls into four chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to the original works and the author. The works belongs to "qu" (also called "legend" in some places in the Ming Dynasty), a very special literary type. It tells a fantastic story about how an aristocratic girl dies and regains her life for love, and it reflects the newly sprung humanist ideas
struggling against the dominant feudal ethic code.
Chapter Two first of all provides a brief history of the concept of "equivalence" and then focuses on Nida's functional equivalence with the importance of understanding and translating procedures stressed at the beginning and the end respectively.
Chapter Three makes a study into the rendition in terms of meaning, style, culture and dramatic form. The study at the semantic level is classified into denotative meaning and associative meaning with the latter subclassified into connotative meaning, social meaning and affective meaning. The second part focuses on the style of the play in terms of implicit and explicit qualities. The third part discusses the translation of cultural factors involved from seven aspects: customs, festivals, social concepts, examination system, conventional expressions, Buddhist and Taoist terms, as well as myths and legends. The principles of cultural equivalence are applied to guide the translation concerning culture-loaded expressions. The last part deals with the complicated dramatic form, a hard nut to crack for a translator.
In Chapter Four, the focus is laid upon problems in the rendition. The problems are roughly categorized into three groups: undertranslation, overtranslation and mistranslation. Reasons that cause the problems are briefly given respectively. Several points are finally restated in the conclusion.
1. Exact equivalence is impossible. There is always some loss or screw of information. One purpose of translating is to keep such disparities at a minimum.
2. The success of a translation depends on the accurate analysis of the purpose for which it was made.
3. The correct meaning of a word or sentence is the one that fits the context best.
4. In order to maintain the cultural feature, a translator should try to find the balance between equivalence and acceptability.
5. whether the form is reproduced successfully affects the overall translation quality.
本文首先简要介绍原文及作者，然后结合奈达的功能对等理论对译本作详细的评述，从而证明此理论在文学翻译中的实用性，并说明在正确理解原文的前提下结合适当的翻译技巧，可以实现翻译的对等。
本文共分五个部分。第一章简要介绍原著及作者。原著文学形式独特，属于“曲”(明朝时有地方称其为“传奇”)，讲述的是南安太守之女杜丽娘一病不起，怀春而死后又复生的离奇经历。此传奇旨在反映当时新兴的人文主义思想与顽固的封建道德思想进行抗争这一主题。
第二章首先简述翻译对等的历史，之后对奈达的功能对等理论进行较为详细的阐述。开头和结尾部分则分别强调了正确理解原文的重要性和翻译的简单步骤。
第三章分别从语义、风格、文化和戏剧形式四个方面对英译本进行了评论。在语义层次，分所指意义和联想意义两部分评论(联想意义可进一步划分为内涵意义，社会意义及情感意义)，之后从含蓄和明确两
A STUDY OF THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE PEONY砂WILION
个角度评译本风格。第三部分以文化对等的两个原则为指导，从习俗、
节日、社会概念、佛教和道教用语以及神话传说等七个方面探讨译本对
原著文化因素的处理，而最后一部分则试着评论译者最难以处理的部分
—复杂的戏剧形式。
在最后一章，即第四章中，重点集中在分析译本中存在的问题。这
些问题可大致分为三类:翻译不足、翻译过头和翻译错误，并简要分析
了造成这些问题的原因。结论部分重申了值得注意的几点:
1.完全对等是不可能的。翻译过程中总有信息丢失或“扭曲”
现象存在，翻译的目标之一便是将其控制在最小。
2.翻译成功有否与对原文的正确分析密切相关。清楚原文表达
的重点才能有比较贴切的翻译。
3.任何词汇以至结构的含义都离不开上下文。最符合上下文的
词义才是正确的词义。
4.翻译涉及两种文化之间的信息传递，特殊困难由此而生。但
文化因素并非不可译，关键要把握对等与可理解性之间的
“度”。
5.形式作为涵义的载体，也具有起特殊的内涵。形式译的好，
通篇翻译为之增色;反之，会影响到意义的表达。
As a means of communication, translation plays an important role in cross-cultural exchange. However, the linguistic and cultural differences pose untold difficulties to literary translation. Some even think the barriers to effective translation are so enormous as to make the translation equivalence almost impossible, especially in translating literary works like The Peony Pavilion, one of the ancient Chinese literary classics. All its notable features, from the versed lyrics to its unique form, can cause serious problems to an effective rendition.
This thesis starts by briefly introducing the background and features of the original works, then makes a detailed study of its English version in light of Nida's functional equivalence and draws a conclusion that through combination of proper skills acquired through practices, correct understanding of the contextual meaning and functional equivalence theory, cross-cultural communication can be achieved, and the feasibility of the theory can be proved as well.
This thesis falls into four chapters. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to the original works and the author. The works belongs to "qu" (also called "legend" in some places in the Ming Dynasty), a very special literary type. It tells a fantastic story about how an aristocratic girl dies and regains her life for love, and it reflects the newly sprung humanist ideas
struggling against the dominant feudal ethic code.
Chapter Two first of all provides a brief history of the concept of "equivalence" and then focuses on Nida's functional equivalence with the importance of understanding and translating procedures stressed at the beginning and the end respectively.
Chapter Three makes a study into the rendition in terms of meaning, style, culture and dramatic form. The study at the semantic level is classified into denotative meaning and associative meaning with the latter subclassified into connotative meaning, social meaning and affective meaning. The second part focuses on the style of the play in terms of implicit and explicit qualities. The third part discusses the translation of cultural factors involved from seven aspects: customs, festivals, social concepts, examination system, conventional expressions, Buddhist and Taoist terms, as well as myths and legends. The principles of cultural equivalence are applied to guide the translation concerning culture-loaded expressions. The last part deals with the complicated dramatic form, a hard nut to crack for a translator.
In Chapter Four, the focus is laid upon problems in the rendition. The problems are roughly categorized into three groups: undertranslation, overtranslation and mistranslation. Reasons that cause the problems are briefly given respectively. Several points are finally restated in the conclusion.
1. Exact equivalence is impossible. There is always some loss or screw of information. One purpose of translating is to keep such disparities at a minimum.
2. The success of a translation depends on the accurate analysis of the purpose for which it was made.
3. The correct meaning of a word or sentence is the one that fits the context best.
4. In order to maintain the cultural feature, a translator should try to find the balance between equivalence and acceptability.
5. whether the form is reproduced successfully affects the overall translation quality.
引文
Birch, Cyril: Anthropology of Chinese Literature: From Early Times to the Fourteenth Century, 1965, Grove Press
Burton, S. H.: The Criticism of Poetry, 1974, Longman Group Limited
Catford, J. C.: A Linguistic Theory of Translation, 1965, Oxford University Press
Diyanni, Robert: Literature, Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama and the Essay, 1990, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Lado, Robert: Linguistics Across Cultures, 1957, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
Newmark, Peter: Approaches to Translation, 1982, Pergamon Press
Nida, Eugene, A.: Language, Culture and Translating, 2000, Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
Nida, Eugene, A.: Toward a Science of Translating, 1964, Leiden: E. J. Brill
Nida, Eugene, A. and Jin Di: On Translation, 1984, Beijing: China Translation and Publishing Corporation
Nida, Eugene, A. and Taber, C. R.: The Theory and Practice of Translation, 1982, Leiden: E. J. Brill
Riggs, Donald and Seaton, Jerome: Chinese Poetic Writing, 1982, Indiana University Press
Tylor, E. B. Anthropology: an Introduction to the Study of Man and Civilization, 1881, Appleton
Xu Yuanchong: On Chinese Verse in English Rhyme, 1997, Beijing University Press
狄兆俊：《中英比较诗学》，上海外语教育出版社，1992
傅仲选：《实用翻译学》，上海外语教育出版社，1993
杰弗里·利奇：《语义学》，上海外语教育出版社，1987
柯平：《英汉与汉英翻译教程》，北京大学出版社，1991
刘宓庆：《文体与翻译》，中国对外出版公司，1985
刘重德：《翻译漫谈》，陕西人民出版社，1984
钱歌川：《翻译漫谈》，中国对外出版公司，1980
沈锡伦：《中国传统文化与语言》，上海教育出版社，1995
汤显祖：《牡丹亭》，人民文学出版社，1963
汤显祖：《大中华文库：牡丹亭》，湖南人民出版社，2000
王力：《汉语诗律学》，上海世纪出版集团，上海教育出版社，2001
汪榕培：《牡丹亭》，上海外语教育出版社，2000
翁显良：《古诗英译》，北京出版社，1985
徐扶明：《牡丹亭研究资料考释》，上海古籍出版社，1987
许渊冲：《翻译的艺术》，中国对外翻译出版公司，1984
许渊冲：《中诗英韵探胜：从<诗经>?西厢记>罚本┐笱С霭嫔纾?992
杨自俭等：《英汉对比研究论文集》，上海外语教育出版社，1990
游国恩等：《中国文学史》，人民文学出版社，1963
尤金·奈达：《语言与文化：翻译中的语境》，上海外语教育出版社，2001
曾永义：《中国古典文学辞典》，正中书局，1991
张今：《文学翻译原理》，河南大学出版社，1987
张晋藩，邱远猷：《科举制度史话》，中华书局，1980
赵山林：《牡丹亭选译》，上海古籍出版社，2002
钟林斌：《中国古典戏曲名著简论》，春风文艺出版社，1979
《中国翻译》 1988～2003
Burton, S. H.: The Criticism of Poetry, 1974, Longman Group Limited
Catford, J. C.: A Linguistic Theory of Translation, 1965, Oxford University Press
Diyanni, Robert: Literature, Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama and the Essay, 1990, McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Lado, Robert: Linguistics Across Cultures, 1957, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press
Newmark, Peter: Approaches to Translation, 1982, Pergamon Press
Nida, Eugene, A.: Language, Culture and Translating, 2000, Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press
Nida, Eugene, A.: Toward a Science of Translating, 1964, Leiden: E. J. Brill
Nida, Eugene, A. and Jin Di: On Translation, 1984, Beijing: China Translation and Publishing Corporation
Nida, Eugene, A. and Taber, C. R.: The Theory and Practice of Translation, 1982, Leiden: E. J. Brill
Riggs, Donald and Seaton, Jerome: Chinese Poetic Writing, 1982, Indiana University Press
Tylor, E. B. Anthropology: an Introduction to the Study of Man and Civilization, 1881, Appleton
Xu Yuanchong: On Chinese Verse in English Rhyme, 1997, Beijing University Press
狄兆俊：《中英比较诗学》，上海外语教育出版社，1992
傅仲选：《实用翻译学》，上海外语教育出版社，1993
杰弗里·利奇：《语义学》，上海外语教育出版社，1987
柯平：《英汉与汉英翻译教程》，北京大学出版社，1991
刘宓庆：《文体与翻译》，中国对外出版公司，1985
刘重德：《翻译漫谈》，陕西人民出版社，1984
钱歌川：《翻译漫谈》，中国对外出版公司，1980
沈锡伦：《中国传统文化与语言》，上海教育出版社，1995
汤显祖：《牡丹亭》，人民文学出版社，1963
汤显祖：《大中华文库：牡丹亭》，湖南人民出版社，2000
王力：《汉语诗律学》，上海世纪出版集团，上海教育出版社，2001
汪榕培：《牡丹亭》，上海外语教育出版社，2000
翁显良：《古诗英译》，北京出版社，1985
徐扶明：《牡丹亭研究资料考释》，上海古籍出版社，1987
许渊冲：《翻译的艺术》，中国对外翻译出版公司，1984
许渊冲：《中诗英韵探胜：从<诗经>?西厢记>罚本┐笱С霭嫔纾?992
杨自俭等：《英汉对比研究论文集》，上海外语教育出版社，1990
游国恩等：《中国文学史》，人民文学出版社，1963
尤金·奈达：《语言与文化：翻译中的语境》，上海外语教育出版社，2001
曾永义：《中国古典文学辞典》，正中书局，1991
张今：《文学翻译原理》，河南大学出版社，1987
张晋藩，邱远猷：《科举制度史话》，中华书局，1980
赵山林：《牡丹亭选译》，上海古籍出版社，2002
钟林斌：《中国古典戏曲名著简论》，春风文艺出版社，1979
《中国翻译》 1988～2003