硕士学位论文-试论复译.doc

学校代码：10254 密 级： 论文编号： 上海海事大学SHANGHAI MARITIME UNIVERSITY硕 士 学 位 论 文MASTER DISSERTATION 论文题目： 试论复译 学科专业：外国语言学及应用语言学 作者姓名： 刘慧玲 指导教师： 袁永芳副教授 完成日期： 2008年6月 论文独创性声明 本论文是我个人在导师指导下进行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。论文 中除了特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，不包含其他人或其他机构已经发表或 撰写过的研究成果。其他同志对本研究的启发和所做的贡献均已在论文中作 了明确的声明并表示了谢意。 作者签名： 日期： 论文使用授权声明 本人同意上海海运学院有关保留、使用学位论文的规定，即：学校有权 保留送交论文复印件，允许论文被查阅和借阅；学校可以上网公布论文的全 部或部分内容，可以采用影印、缩印或者其它复制手段保存论文。保密的论 文在解密后遵守此规定。 作者签名： 导师签名： 日期： Shanghai Maritime University 上海海事大学 地 址：中国 上海 浦东大道1550号 1550 Pudong Dadao邮 编：200135 Shanghai, 200135电 话：(021)58855200 P.R.China网 址： On Retranslation By Liu Huiling Under the Supervision of Professor Yuan YongfangA Thesis Submitted to the College of Foreign Languages of Shanghai Maritime University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the MA Degree Shanghai Maritime University June, 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFirst of all, I feel deeply indebted to my academic supervisor Professor Yuan Yongfang, who has given me strong support and invaluable advice on my thesis. It is her minute guidance, incessant encouragement and the pertinent comments that have brought about the shaping, the creation and the embellishment of this thesis.My sincere thanks also go to the teachers who have instructed my thesis and courses and who have offered me great help during my study for the degree of M.A in Shanghai Maritime University, particularly to my teachers Prof. Han Zhonghua and Prof. Wang Dawei for their illuminating lectures. Meanwhile, my gratitude also goes to all my fellow classmates, especially to Chen Limei, Liu Qi, Liu Yunxia, Liu Fang and Wang Ying, for their generous help and support during the past two years of study in Shanghai Maritime University. My thanks also go to my friend Wang Jie who encouraged me when I was in difficulty and depression.I must acknowledge as well, the support and considerateness of my parents and my brother who give me help both financially and psychologically.摘 要 近年来，外国文学作品的复译现象极为普遍。不仅表现在复译作品数量上的增多，而且表现在对复译现象的具体分析上。这一现象引起了我国文学界和翻译界的广泛关注。有的学者从翻译标准、翻译策略等方面来对译本进行比较，有的从译者的主体性来阐述复译的必要性。无论是对译本进行比较还是对复译的理论探讨，都加深了对复译现象的认识和理解，具有积极的意义。然而，一个完整的、涉及复译各个方面的理论体系还未形成，系统研究复译现象的文章寥寥无几。对于复译现象，许多学者从译者的主体性角度来探讨其产生的原因和必要性。但是，文本本身具有的开放性和不确定性也促成了复译现象的产生。此外，复译现象还受到社会文化及政治因素的影响。因此，复译现象的产生原因不是单方面的，要受到多方面因素的影响。本文作者将借鉴阐释学、接受美学、目的论等相关理论，从文本的开放性、译者的主体性、社会文化因素、语言的变化四个方面对复译现象进行系统的阐述，从而论证复译的必然性。任何一部文学作品都有其开放性和不确定性，其内容和意义永远不可能穷尽。同样，任何一个译本都存在这样或那样的缺陷，永远不可能出现真正完美的译本。于是，文本的开放性及译本的缺陷性为译者提供了展示才华的机会，同时复译现象成为可能。翻译是一个阐释的过程，需要译者发挥自己的主观能动性。本文从译者的审美观的角度对复译的可能性和必然性进行了论证。不同的译者有不同的审美心理，因此面对同一部作品时，会从不同的审美角度描绘原作，再现原作的艺术魅力。 翻译总是在一定的社会环境中进行。因此，译者在翻译过程中总要受到当时的社会文化及政治等因素的影响和制约。因此，不同的社会环境会产生不同的译本。同时，语言是具有时代特征的。正如黄源深教授（1993：514）所说：“他（译者）所把握的要传达原作思想的语言，却是随时代的变迁而不断变化着的，因而不同时代也就非常需要有适应这种变化的不同译本了。”因此，本文将从语言的变化的角度对复译的必要性进行论述。接受美学认为，不同的读者群在不同的时期对文学作品的期待视野是不同的，随着时代的变迁、社会的变化及读者自身文化素质的提高，时间久远的译本将不再适应当代读者的需求。因此，新的译本的产生成为必然。复译不同于一般翻译，它不只是原有译本信息的简单重复，而是在原有基础上的改进。复译总是以突破上一个或其它译文为目标，或以显示其它译文为目的。因此，复译对译者提出了更高的要求。复译不仅要求复译者的活动符合译入语社会及其文化系统对复译本的期待，而且要求复译者具备更好的内在素质。他的双语能力、翻译经验、审美习惯、文化视野及知识面都应该高于前译者。只有这样，才能保证复译本具有更高的质量。复译现象的产生不是偶然的，它是多种因素综合作用的结果。文本的开放性、译者的主体性、社会文化因素及语言的变化促成了复译的产生。复译必要性的理论探讨为同一部文学作品不断被复译的现象提供了强有力的理论支持，体现了复译本的价值所在。本文还对复译对译者的要求及复译本的评价作了探讨，希望能够对复译理论的发展做出自己应有的贡献。关键词：复译；文本开放性；译者主体性；社会文化因素； 复译的评价 ABSTRCTRetranslation of foreign literary works has become a common phenomenon in recent years, which is well illustrated by the appearance of both of a great many retranslated works and a number of research papers. This phenomenon has attracted considerable attention in the literary world as well as the translation world. Many scholars have conducted studies on retranslation. Some of them have made comparative studies of different versions of the same original work by applying the theories of translation principle or translation strategies; some have illustrated the necessity of retranslation by applying the theory of translators subjectivity. All these help to gain a better understanding of retranslation. However, comprehensive retranslation studies have not yet been conducted; rational and systematic research is still urgently needed. Many scholars have mainly explored the causes and necessity of retranslation from the perspective of translators subjectivity. But that is not enough. Besides that, the openness and indeterminacy of the original, the social, cultural and political factors also contribute to the appearance of retranslation. This paper aims, in accordance with translation theories like hermeneutics, aesthetic theory of reception and skopos theory, to assess the theoretical basis of retranslations necessity and inevitability from the following perspectives: the openness of the original, the translators subjectivity, the social and cultural factors and the change of language. Every literary work is open and indeterminate, whose meaning and intention can never be completely uncovered. And each translation is characterized by an absence of perfection, that is, no translation is labeled flawless. Therefore, the openness of the original and the never-perfection of the translation provide an opportunity for retransaltors to show their talents, and retranslation becomes a possibility. Translating is a process of interpreting the original. The translators are supposed to exercise their subjectivity. The paper attempts to testify the necessity and possibility of retranslation from the translators aesthetic view. Different translators hold different aesthetic faculties and view the literary work from different aesthetic perspectives. Therefore, even when they face the same original, they will represent the original in different forms. Translation is conducted in a given society. Therefore, it will be influenced or restricted by the socio-cultural and political factors of the given society. Thus, different translations may appear in different social environments. It is also worth noticing that language is time-marked. Professor Huang Yuanshen (1993:514) argued: “The language a translator employs to convey the meanings and messages is constantly changing with the passage of time. Therefore, different epochs call for different translations.” It is safe to say that an old version is to be discarded if its language is obsolete or it does not conform to the aesthetic habits of the contemporary reading republic. Thus, a new translation will replace the old one. In light of this, the author of this thesis attempts to prove the necessity of retranslation. Retranslation is different from translation in a general sense. It is not a simple repetition of the information in the former translations, but an improvement based on the former translations. Retranslation aims to surpass or distinguish itself from its predecessors. Therefore, It puts higher demands for translators. A retranslator should have a good knowledge of the expectations of the target language culture. At the same time, he is supposed to have a broader knowledge and higher quality. He should possess a better ground of bilingual competence, aesthetic faculty and knowledge structure than an average translator. At last, the author explores the problems of the evaluation of retranslations, which helps the author of this thesis to conduct a systematic study of retranslation.Retranslation does not occur by chance, it happens as a result of multiple elements. The openness of the original text, the translators subjectivity, the social and cultural elements as well as the language change, they all contribute to the occurrence of retranslation. The theoretical exploration of retranslation provides a theoretical support to the retranslation of the same original literary work. In this paper, the author also probes the requirements for a retranslator and the evaluation of translated texts with the hope of making contributions to retranslation theoretical studies. KEYWORDS: retranslation, openness of the text, translators subjectivity，social and cultural factors, evaluation of retranslations Table of ContentsChapter One Introduction.1 1.1 The Background and Layout1 1.2 Literature Review.2Chapter Two About Retranslation.5 2.1 The Notion of Retranslation.52.1.1 What is Retranslation? .5 2.1.2 What Makes Retranslation .7 2.1.3 The Nature of Retranslation8 2.2 Types of Retranslation .82.2.1 Corrective Retranslation .102.2.2 Reconstructive Retranslation 122.2.3 Proselytizing Retranslation13 2.3 Significance of Retranslation .152.3.1 Deepening the Understanding .152.3.2 Regenerating Outstanding Literary Works .162.3.3 Improving the Translators Translation Skills.16 Chapter Three Inevitability of Retranslation .183.1 Inevitability of Retranslation from the Perspective of the Text18 3.1.1 Features of Literary Works. Openness of Literary Works. Ambiguity of the Original Literary Work An Absence of Perfection of Translated Text.283.2 Inevitability of Retranslation from the Perspective of Translator.283.2.1 The Translators Prejudice.283.2.2 Translators Subjectivity 3 Subjectivity Displayed at the Stage of Text Analysis.3 Subjectivity Displayed in the Transferring Stage363.3 Inevitability of Retranslation from the Perspective of Society and Culture . 393.3.1 Societys Expectations for a Retranslation.403.3.2 Patronage 413.4 Inevitability of Retranslation from the Perspective of Language Changes443.4.1 Changes of Semantic Meaning453.4.2 Changes of Language Style.473.5 Summary.47Chapter Four Requirements for Retranslators.48 4.1 Bilingual Competence .484.2 Experience .504.3 Aesthetic Faculty.524.4 Bicultural Vision .554.5 Wide Range of knowledge .58Chapter Five Evaluation of Retranslation.625.1 Evaluation MethodComparative Study.62 5.2 Evaluation Principles of Retranslation.62Conclusion.66Bibliography.68Chapter One Introduction 1.1 The Background and Layout As translation studies continue to extend their horizons, more and more translation scholars begin to conduct research in translation with other translation-related disciplines. Before the 1970s, translation studies were mainly regarded as a branch of applied linguistics. From the 1970s, “Translation scholars began to draw on theoretical frameworks and methodologies borrowed from other disciplines, including psychology, communication theory, literary theory, anthropology, philosophy and, more recently, cultural studies.”(Li Heqing, et al, 2005:285 my translation) In light of the general trend of translation studies, the author of this thesis decides to put her efforts to the discussion of retranslation with the help of other disciplines. Gorge Steiner once claimed, “As every generation retranslates the classics, out of a vital compulsion for immediacy and precise echo, every generation uses language to build its own resonant past.”(Steiner, 2001:30). Retranslation is possible and has been happening through history. In China, many articles on retranslation have appeared in the past decades. Many scholars like Zhen Shiding, Xu Jun, Gu Zhengkun, Zhang Jinghao and Xu Yuanchong, have made great contributions to the studies of retranslation. However, no substantial achievements have been made due to the fact that the necessity of retranslation is not universally acknowledged. This paper will undertake to elaborate on the necessity of retranslation by borrowing the theories of other disciplines. The author of this thesis hopes that the present study will help people to gain a better and complete understanding of retranslation, which will in turn be a guideline for the retranslation. This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one is an introduction, including the background and layout of this thesis as well as the literature review, which helps readers to get a general idea of the intention of the author and the organization of this thesis. Chapter two presents the notion of retranslation, the type of retranslation and the significance of retranslation, which serves as an introduction of retranslation and lays the foundation for the following discussions. Chapter three mainly deals with the necessity of retranslation. The author of this thesis approaches this issue from four perspectives: the textual level, the translators subjectivity, the socio-cultural level and the linguistic level, which serves as the main point of this thesis. Chapter four is mainly concerned with the requirements for retranslators, which is complementary to chapter three. Chapter five is an attempt to establish evaluation principles for retranslation on the basis of former research findings, which forms a unity together with the above four chapters. 1.2 Literature ReviewRetranslation of western literary works is quite common in China. Just take Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice for example. The author of this thesis found out there are five Chinese versions of Pride and Prejudice in one bookshop. Among these versions, some are of high quality and some are of poor quality. It is this finding that inspires the author to explore the question of retranslation: why there are so many versions of the same literary work? Is it necessary to retranslate such a book? How to evaluate them? With the question in mind, the author of this thesis read some books and articles, hoping to gain a comprehensive understanding of the notion of retranslation. According to some books and articles available, the dispute over the necessity of retranslation started as early as the 1930s, with the publication of a short article “Indispensable Retranslation” by Lu Xun in 1935. In the article, Lu Xun stressed the importance and necessity of retranslation, claiming that retranslation could combat false translation and enrich the target language. This dispute aroused more attention in the academic field. However, as Lu Xun had a lot of followers, the dispute showed a sign of abating after the appearance of the article. It might be asserted that no substantial progress had been made in retranslation until 1980s. Since the 1980s, retranslation of western literary works has become a noticeable phenomenon. The Chinese translation theorist began to reconsider the issue of retranslation, thus, retranslation study has become a hot subject in translation world. In 1994, Xu Jun claimed that “it is necessary to take advantage of retranslation if we want to keep a literary work survive. If an initial translating activity is a way to broaden the spreading range of a literary work, retranslating activity is one to prolong the spreading duration of a work.”(Xu Jun, 1994:3)In 1996，Xu Yuanchong, a famous literary translator wrote an essay “On Retranslation-a comment on Xu Jun” in which he defined retranslation and claimed its importance in literary translation. In 1999, Zheng Shiding published an article titled “On Retranslation Study”，in which he gave a general description of the status quo of the retranslation studies in China, and called for more theoretical work to be done in the future. Nowadays, retranslation study has become a hot subject in translation world. Many articles have been devoted to the discussion of it, and some progress has been achieved in retranslation theories. Zhang Derang，for example, “employs the three principles of Hans-Geord Gadamers philosophical hermeneuticshistorical interpretation, fusion of horizons and effected historyto provide new perspectives with which to reconsider the problems in translation such as misunderstanding, cultural filtering and reinterpretation.”(Zhang Derang, 2001) These three aspects well illustrate the cause of retranslation. Another scholar, Wang Xiaoli, according to hermeneutics, went further by putting forward three retranslation strategies or types: corrective retranslation, critical retranslation (reconstructive retranslation) and proselytizing retranslation (Wang Xiaoli, 2002).Different from Zhang Derang and Wang Xiaoli, Jiang Qiuxia made a study in a non-hermeneutic way. Jiang (1997) claimed that retranslation was possible and meaningful because different translator decipher differently by using their individual aesthetic values and aesthetic habits. Another article worth mentioning is written by Gu Zhengkun (2003). According to him, retranslators should be encouraged to assimilate the merits of prior translations in a filtering way. That is, the retranslators should try their best to make use of the merits of prior translations to produce a better translation that is very close to the origi