李玉良
(青岛科技大学 外国语学院,山东 青岛 266061)
儒家经典英译中的训诂问题
李玉良
(青岛科技大学 外国语学院,山东 青岛 266061)
在儒家经典英译中,许多西方译者对于典籍中的古汉语字句缺乏足够的训诂功夫,致使译文产生了不少错误;对于典籍中的器物、典制等的历史文化元素,有的译者疏于考证其社会历史背景,以现代文化取而代之,造成了历史或文化错位。长期以来,这种现象对儒家经典翻译传播已经产生了相当大的负面影响。在当前中国文化走出去的历史诉求下,只有树立训诂意识,并通过严格的训诂解决这些问题,才能准确翻译和传播儒家思想文化,并让中国文化真正和有效地“走出去”。
儒家典籍;训诂;英译;中国文化走出去
19世纪中叶以来近二百年的时间里,儒家经典英译长盛不衰,产生了大量英语译本,为中西文化交流增添了动力。综观儒家经典英译的历史,许多译者对典籍中的古字句缺乏足够的训诂功夫,致使译文产生了错误。对于典籍中的历史文化元素,有的译者疏于考证,以现代文化取而代之,造成了历史文化错位,误导了读者,当为今后儒学翻译传播之鉴。以下分三个方面来论述。
儒家经典翻译首先遇到的问题是训诂问题。从译本情况看,训诂方面出的问题,俯拾即是。若按类来分,首先是语义训诂问题。而语义训诂的问题又可分为译者混淆今古义和混淆中西义的区别两类。今古义混淆多发于西方译者,译者的古汉语功底不足,对古汉语古义,以及古汉字多义性了解不够。这足以导致他们常常望文生义,犯语义混淆的错误。另一个原因是,西方译者在翻译时,不能严格选择原文注疏本,并严格参考经学注疏,尤其在概念的翻译上,忽视经学注疏和训诂,动辄用西方的已有概念随便阐释儒学概念,结果造成中西概念杂糅的现象。若细加分析,可分为三个方面。
再如“朋”字。朱熹训曰:“朋,同类也”(朱熹,2014:47)。并不是朋友的意思。但许多译本中学字和朋字却并没有翻译正确。例如理雅各(James Legge)、翟林奈(Lionel Giles)、莱斯(Simon Leys)、亨顿(David Hinton)、道森(John William Dawson)等都将“学”译作learn,将“朋”译作friends。learn可以指学习知识和技巧,却少学做人的意思;friends也没有同“类”之义。各家译文如下:
理雅各:The Master said, “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?” (Legge,1893:183)
翟林奈:The Master said: To learn, and to practise on occasion what one has learnt — is this not true pleasure? The coming of a friend from a far-off land — is this not true joy? (Giles,1907:93)
刘殿爵:The Master said, ‘Is it not a pleasure, having learned something, to try it out at due intervals? Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?’ (Lau,1979:59)
莱斯:The Master said: “To learn something and then to put it into practice at the right time: is this not a joy? To have friends coming from afar: is this not a delight?”(Leys,1997:3)
亨顿:The Master said: “To learn, and then, in its due season, put what you have learned into practice — isn’t that still a great pleasure? And to have a friend visit from somewhere far away — isn’t that still a great joy?”(Hinton,1998:3)
道森:The Master said: ‘To learn something and at times to practise it — surely that is a pleasure? To have friends coming from distant places — surely that is delightful? (Dawson,1993:3)
威尔:How pleasant it is to repeat constantly what we are learning! How happy we are when some friend returns from a long trip! (Ware,1955:21)
惟有苏慧廉把“朋”字翻译得符合其“同志为朋”的古义。
苏慧廉:The Master said: ‘Is it not indeed a pleasure to acquire knowledge and constantly to exercise on oneself therein? And is it not delightful to have men of kindred spirit come to one from afar? (Soothill,1910:442)
古汉语中常用“三”字表示多数。“三”字看似简单,却由于今古义相差较大,且易为西方译者所忽视,而常常诱发翻译错误。可以作为翻译训诂的著例。例如,《论语·学而》:“曾子曰:‘吾日三省吾身:为人谋而不忠乎?与朋友交而不信乎?传不习乎?’”程树德引诸家之说训“三”字最为详尽:
《论语稽》:三字,《说文》以阳之一,合阴之二,其数三。《史记律书》:“数始作于一,终于十,成于三。”盖数至于三,阴阳极参错之变,将变其成。故古人于屡与多且久之数,皆以三言,如颜子三月不违,南容三复,季文子三思,太伯三让,柳下三黜,子文三仕三已,三年无改于父之道,三人行必有我师焉,三嗅而作,三年学,三月不知肉味,皆此意也。(程树德,2006:19)
然而,抑或是因为“三”的这个古义在古代太平常,何晏、邢昺、朱熹在其注疏里竟都没有对其进行训诂,所以西方译者就都没有翻译好“三”这个字。请看几家译文:
理雅各:The philosopher Tsang said, “I daily examine myself on three points: — whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful; — whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere; — whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.”(Legge,1893:184)
苏慧廉:The philosopher Tsang said: “I daily examine myself on three points, — In planning for others have I failed in conscientiousness? In intercourse with friends have I been sincere? And have I failed to practise what I have been taught?” (Soothill,1910:442)
刘殿爵:Tseng Tzu said, ‘Every day I examine myself on three counts. In what I have undertaken on another’s behalf, have I failed to do my best? In my dealings with my friends have I failed to be trustworthy in what I say? Have I passed on to others anything that I have not tried out myself?’(Lau,1979:59)
威尔:Tseng Ts’an said, “Daily I examine myself on three points: Have I failed to be loyal in my work for others? Have I been false with my friends? Have I failed to pass on that which I was taught?” (Ware,1955:21)
莱斯:Master Zeng said: “I examine myself three times a day. When dealing on behalf of others, have I been trustworthy? In intercourse with my friends, have I been faithful? Have I practiced what I was taught?” (Leys,1997:3)
亨顿:Master Tseng said: “Each day I examine three things of myself. Have I been trustworthy in all that I’ve done for other people? Have I stood by my words in dealing with friends? Have I practiced all that I have been taught?” (Hinton,1998:4)
道森:Master Zeng said: “Every day I examine my character in three respects: am I disloyal in my designs for others, am I untrustworthy in my dealings with friends, have I failed to practise what has been passed on to me?” (Dawson,1993: 3)
原句中的“三”显然是修饰“思”的,而不是指后文所省之事的数目。最早的译者理雅各就错以今义代古义,因其影响,后来者也个个都跟着译错,其中还包括了大汉学家苏慧廉以及著名汉学家翟理斯的儿子翟林奈,以及华人学者刘殿爵。
有时即使参考了经学训诂,译者也会被历史上不同的意见所困扰,这就需要译者做出明智的判断,翻译的时候须择其合理者而采之。例如,尚字在古代有上的意思,也有加的意思,但《齐风·著》“尚之以琼华乎而!”“尚之以琼莹乎而!”“尚之以琼英乎而!”中的三个尚字,西汉经学家王素解为“饰”,即“以美石饰象瑱”(李学勤,1999:334),不通。朱熹《诗集传》:“尚,加也。琼华,美石似玉者,即所以为瑱也”(朱熹,1989:67)。把三个尚都解为“加上”,意思是充耳之上加上琼华、琼莹、琼英,这样才通。再如,《硕鼠》中的“乐国乐国,爰得我直”中的直字。汉代学者郑玄笺曰:“直,犹正也。”唐孔颖达《毛诗正义》:“直,得其直道。”清人王引之《经义述闻》认为,直是职的假借,职解为“所”(王引之,2016:67),“得我直”即得我所。高亨(1980:149)、陈子展(1983:339)、程俊英(2004:168)、周振甫(2002:157)都解直为“值”。其实先秦直和值不相通假。
(2)多义字问题。由于历史的局限,一字多义是儒家典籍的一大文字特点。多义字在典籍中只靠上下文推断其意思,常不可靠,因为在许多情况下上下文可以有一种以上可通的讲法。这样的情况值得在翻译中严加甄别,以防铸错。例如:《颜渊》:“一日克己复礼,天下归仁焉。”中的“克”字和“归”字。何晏、皇刊、毛奇龄、程树德皆从马融,以克为约束的意思。何晏《论语集解》:“马曰:‘克己,约身也’”(程树德,2006:818-819)。皇刊《论语集解义疏》:“克,犹约也”(同上)。毛奇龄《论语稽求篇》“马融以约身为克己,从来说如此”(同上)。朱熹的解释有所不同:“克,胜也。己,谓身之私欲也”(朱熹,2014:133)。“归”字,朱熹《论语集注》解为与:“归,犹与也。又言一日克己复礼,则天下之人皆与其仁。极言其效之甚速而至大也”(朱熹,2014:133)。 “与”也就是给予仁人之名,即称的意思(朱熹,2014:133)。程树德《集释》解为“称”,“归仁即称仁”(程树德,2006:818),又引《礼记·哀公问》“君子也者人之成名也。百姓归之名,谓之”进行解释:“则百姓之归亦只是名谓之义,此真善释归者”(同上)。亨顿(David Hinton)的译文 If a ruler gave himself to Ritual for even a single day, all beneath Heaven would return to Humanity.(p.127)中,“克”义为“顺从”,“归”义为“返回”。道森的译文If someone subdued himself and returned to ritual for a single day, then all under Heaven would ascribe humaneness to him. (p.44)把“归”译作“归因”。莱斯(Leys)把“克”作“驯服”,把“归”作“集结到”:Tame the self and restore the rites for but one day, and the whole world will rally to your humanity. (p.55)威尔(Ware)If for one day you achieve self-control and return to the practice of the rites , the world will acknowledge you as Man-at-its-best. (p.76)把“归”作“承认”。这些都与原文古义相差甚远。苏慧廉(Soothill)译作Deny yourself for one day and respond to the right and proper, and everybody will accord you virtuous. 他把“归”(accord)译对了,却把“克”(deny)译错了。翟林奈(Giles)的译文“If a man can for the space of one day subdue his selfishness and revert to natural laws, the whole world will call him good.(p.62)遵循朱熹的训诂,较严格地反映了朱熹的理学思想,可以说是依据确凿的严肃翻译。比如“己”解为“私欲”(selfishness);“礼”解为“天理”(natural laws)。
又如《中庸》“素隐行怪,后世有述焉”中的“素” 字。朱熹解释为深求,整句的意思为“深求隐僻之理,而过为诡异之行也。然以其足以欺世而盗名,故后世或有称述之者”(朱熹,2014:21)。即寻找隐僻的歪理邪说,做些怪诞的事情来欺世盗名,后世也许会有人记述他,为他立传。素亦即索。理雅各的译文为To live in obscurity, and yet practice wonders, in order to be mentioned with honour in future ages.意思是:虽然身份低微,却为了后世能被称述而干大事。其中“素隐”没有按“索隐”翻译。有误。庞德的译文“To seek mysteries in the obscure, poking into magic and committing eccentricities in order to be talked about later; this I do not. ”虽然按朱熹的解释来翻译,但却把“索隐”译成了“从阴暗处索求秘密”,“poking into magic”(从事巫术)与原文“行怪”毫无关系。
现代汉语中仍然流行的古汉语多义字,对熟悉现代汉语的当代西方汉学家来说,更容易犯错。因为这些字容易让他们望文生义。例如《论语·为政》:“攻乎异端,斯害也已。”道森等几家译文如下:
道森:“If one is attacked from different starting points, it is indeed damaging.”(p.6)
亨顿:“Devote yourself to strange doctrines and principles, and there’s sure to be pain and suffering.”(p.16)
刘殿爵:“To attack a task from the wrong end can do nothing but harm.”
道森译文中的“攻”字被当做“attack(进攻、攻击)”的意思来翻译,显然有误。亨顿把“攻”译对了,却把“害”译错了。犯的同样是望文生义,以今义代古义的错误。刘殿爵也把“攻”译作“attack(攻击)”。这些认识都有偏颇。其实,《论语》注疏对此有明确的训诂。何晏注曰:“攻,治也。善道有统,故殊涂而同归。异端不同归也。”皇侃《论语义疏》曰:“此章禁人杂学。攻,治也。异端,谓诸子百家之书也。言人若不学正经善道,而治乎异端之书,斯则为害之深也。以其善道有统,故殊涂而同归。异端则不同归也。”“攻”为“治”,“异端”为除六经之外的“诸子百家之书”,这些解释符合古训,也符合孔子提倡弘扬儒学、反对杨朱墨等异端邪说的一贯立场。
再如《论语·学而》。子夏曰:“贤贤易色:事父母,能竭其力;事君,能致其身;与朋友交,言而有信。虽曰未学,吾必谓之学矣。”亨顿的译文是:
Adept Xia said: “Cherishing wisdom as if it were a beautiful woman, devoting their strength to serving parents and their lives to serving a ruler,standing by their words in dealing with friends-such people may say they’ve never studied, but I would call them learned indeed.” (Hinton,1998:4)
其中“色”指女色。何休《论语集解》:“言以好色之心好贤”(何晏,1931:19)。皇侃《论语集解义疏》从何说:“凡人情,莫不好色而不好贤,今若有人,能改易好色之心好于贤,则此人便是贤于贤者。故云贤贤易色也”(皇侃,1937:7)。朱熹与何晏不同:“贤人之贤,而易其好色之心,好善有诚也”(朱熹,2014:50) 。由此看来,亨顿译文不假。而韦利的译文则没有遵从古训:
Tue-hsia said, A man who treats his betters as betters, wears an air of respect, who into serving father and mother knows how to put his whole strength, who in the service of his prince will lay down his life, who in intercourse with friends is true to his word — others may say of him that he still lacks education, but I for my part should certainly call him an educated man. (Waley,2012:5)
他把“易色”解为尊敬的姿态(air of respect),属臆测。再如《论语·为政》:子夏问孝。子曰:“色难。有事弟子服其劳,有酒食先生馔,曾是以为孝乎?”亨顿译作:When Adept Hsia asked about honoring parents, the Master said: “It’s the way you do things that matters. When there’s work, children may make it easy for their parents”(Hinton,1998:13)。色难,指在父母面前做到永远保持和颜悦色,很难。何晏《论语集解》:“色难者,谓承顺父母颜色为难”(何晏,1931:25)。皇侃疏曰:“色,为父母颜色也。言为孝之道,必须承奉父母颜色”(皇侃,1937:17)。朱熹解释说:“色难,谓事亲之际,惟色为难也。……盖孝子之有深爱者,必有和气;有和气者,必有愉色;有愉色者,必有婉容。故事亲之际,惟色为难耳,服劳奉养未足为孝也”(朱熹,2014:56)。亨顿的翻译显然没有采纳古训。韦利译作:Tzu-hsia asked about the treatment of parents. The master said, It is the demeanour that is difficult. Filial piety does not consist merely in young people undertaking the hard work, when anything has to be done, or serving their elders first with wine and food. It is something much more than that.(Waley,1998:15)也有问题。他把“色”当作行为来翻译,几乎与该字的古义不着边际。
(3)通假字问题。通假就是“通用、借代”的意思,即用读音相同或者相近的字代替本字。王力先生总结了古汉语通假的三种情况。一种是本无其字,假借另外一个字来用;一种是本有其字,仍假借另外的字来用;一种是“本来没有那个字,但后来也造出来了”(王力,2009:17)。儒家经典中的通假现象较普遍,如《诗经》中的通假字就有数百个,同音字通假犹难识别,能否破假借,对外国译者来说是极大的挑战。如《诗经·召南·采蘋》“谁其尸之,有齐季女”中的齐字。齐,读斋,义同斋字,意思为沐浴净身以示虔敬。《毛诗传》:齐,敬。郑《笺》:齐本亦作斋,同侧皆反。孔颖达《疏》:当设置之时,使谁主之?有齐庄之德女主设之(孔颖达,1999:75)。朱熹《诗集转》:“齐,敬貌”(朱熹,1989:12)。詹宁斯的译文是:And who is she — so occupied? — Who, but(our lord’s)young pious bride?(p.46) 其中有“虔敬(pious)”,但没有“沐浴净身”的意思。阿连壁译作I would be told the lady’s name,/So wise is she, so sage./’Tis no one but this little dame/Of some ten years of age. 其中没有斋的意思。韦利也没能正确译出斋的意思:“Who is the mistress of them? A young girl purified.”(Waley,1996:16)purified似乎可以传达净化的意思,但又过于抽象,并非祭祀仪式前表示虔敬的沐浴净身。庞德、阿连壁译本干脆没翻译“齐”字。(此处英译文略)又如,《诗·小雅·采薇》:“岂不日戒, 玁狁孔棘。”郑玄《笺》曰:“孔,甚也;棘,急也”(孔颖达,1999:594)。朱熹《诗集传》(1989):“棘,急也。”韦利译成“swift”:“The Xian-yun are very swift.”(Waley,1996:140)但这个急不是紧急,而是速度快,这就错了。詹宁斯译作:“Yet the Hn-Yuns sorely tried him.”(Jennings,1891:180)其中的错误更明显。相比之下,还是理雅各来得准确:“The business of the H⊇en-yun is very urgent.”(Legge,1893:261)“urgent”才是紧急之意。再如,《诗经·陈风·泽陂》“有美一人,硕大且卷”。“卷”,《毛诗传》训曰“卷,好貌”(孔颖达,1999:456)。比较笼统。朱熹《诗集传》:“卷,鬓发之美也。”(朱熹,2011:109)与毛训相似,但更显具体。周振甫《诗经译注》取朱说训为:“卷:通鬈,头发卷”(周振甫,2002:200)。以下三种译文都没有遵从古训:
理雅各:There is the beautiful lady,/Tall and large, and elegant. (Legge,1939:214)
詹宁斯:Handsome of men is here,/Tall, robust, in manhood’s pride. (Jennings,1891:152)
韦利:There is a man so fair--/Well-made, big, and strong. (Waley,1996:112)
就卷字的翻译来说,虽然朱训更为准确,显然三个译文都没参考朱训,而参考了毛训,但译文有所发挥,并未严格遵循毛训。
儒家典籍中有大量名物,除草、木、鸟、兽、虫、鱼外,还有大量文化器物,即古人制造的供日常生活或祭祀、聘问仪式使用的各种器物,如各种食器、乐器、祭器等。这些名物各具其名,现在来看代表当时的文化创造。从翻译过程看,这些名物借助注疏识别不难。但若使用另一种语言中的既有名称来翻译这些名物,往往会觉得乏力,因为文化器物最具民族文化特色和时代特点,在语言上常常无法通约。例如:《礼记·月令》“是月也,命乐师修鼗、鞞、鼓,均琴、瑟、管、箫,执干、戚、戈、羽,调竽、笙、篪、簧,饬钟、磬、柷、敔。”理雅各译作:
“In this month orders are given to the music-masters to put in repair the hand-drums, smaller drums, and large drums; to adjust the lutes, large and small, the double flutes, and the pan-pipes; to teach the holding of the shields, pole-axes, lances, and plumes; to tune the organs, large and small, with their pipes and tongues; and to put in order the bells, sonorous stones, the instrument to give the symbol for commencing, and the stopper.” (Legge,1885:273)
此段原文涉及乐器15种,兵器4种。就乐器的翻译来看,译者仅使用了英语中的7个类名词,比较笼统;兵器的翻译也只是粗略说明。这些译名无一与原文名物准确对应。这种译法很容易误导读者混淆中西古乐器,不利于读者进行准确的历史认知和文化认知。在《诗经》翻译中,名物翻译的“偏离”(李玉良,2014:91-96)现象,基本上可以概括西方译者在名物翻译问题上所普遍面临的困境与缺点。《诗经》中的名物达数百种,在西方历史文化中可寻者不达十一,所以翻译的时候困难很大。若仅为文学的目的,很多作为意象的名物可以以西方固有名物取代,而文学功能仍可得以保持。但问题是有些名物,尤其是文化器物,比如祭器、乐器等,英语文化里是没有的,甚至有些动植物西方世界也没有,比如荇菜英美就没有。这些名物英译时都无法直接用置换法。这就造成了译不通的困境。若译文正文后不加注,则译犹不译;若加注,则如隔靴搔痒。而若部分置换,则会造成文化元素杂糅穿凿,产生不伦不类的后果。这种情况几乎每首诗的翻译都会遇到,而《雅》部分犹甚。例如《周颂·有瞽》全诗共52字,其中名物即有14种。全文如下:
有瞽有瞽,在周之庭。
设业设虡,崇牙树羽。
应田县鼓,鞉磬柷圉。
既备乃奏,箫管备举。
喤喤厥声,肃雍和鸣,
先祖是听。我客戾止,永观厥成。
理雅各译文如下:
There are the bird musicians; there are the blind musicians;
In the court of [the temple of] Zhou.
There are [the music frames] with their face-boards and posts,
The high toothed-edge [of the former], and the feathers stuck [in the latter];
With the drums, large and small, suspended from them;
And the hand-drums and sounding-stones, the instrument to give the signal for commencing, and the stopper.
显然,译文只翻译了大概,并没有如实描绘祭祀仪式上所使用的音乐器具,也没有庄严肃穆、虔敬和乐的气氛,更无祭先祖之深义。《诗小序》曰:“王者治定制礼,功成作乐”(孔颖达,1999:1327)。孔颖达《疏》云:“有瞽诗者,始作乐而合于太祖之乐歌也。谓周公摄政六年,制礼作乐,一代之乐功成,而合诸乐器于太祖之庙,奏之,告神以知和否”(同上)。原诗和译诗相差悬殊。这类名物,如果不假注释,至多能依靠上义词,在诗行中做大略的解释性翻译,例如许渊冲的译文:
Musicians blind, musicians blind,
Come to the temple court behind.
The plume-adorned posts stand
With teeth-like frames used by the band;
From them suspend drums large and small,
And sounding stones withal.
Music is played when all’s complete;
We hear pan-pipe, flute and drumbeat.
What sacred melody
And solemn harmony!
Dear ancestors, give ear;
Dear visitors, come here!
You will enjoy our song
And wish it to last long.
但译文虽然译出了名物的大致轮廓,却少了些色彩和生动的形象,因此也缺了些情感韵味。
从语言的角度来看,这类问题源于译者对原文语言的文化及历史语义解释不够充分。从翻译学的角度来看,这种现象会引发许多深层次问题。若译者的翻译目的是传授文化知识,则会引起读者的误解;若目的在于师从异国文化,则达不到借用他人文化修养国民的目的;若目的是为了文化交流,则会阻塞两国文化交流的通道。
近人杨树达把训诂一分为二,称“余生平持论,谓读古书当通训诂审词气,二者如车之两轮,不可或缺。通训诂者,昔人所谓小学也;审词气者,今人所谓文法之学也。汉儒精于训诂,而疏于审词气;宋儒颇用心于词气矣,而忽于训诂,读者两兼焉”(曾连乾,2015:303)。此处词气即文法。儒家典籍的语言属于先秦古语,从现代汉语角度看,其句法成分省略颇多,造成动作者、受动者、限定者、被限定者,以及其他语义因素之间关系模糊的状况,这给译者造成很大困难。例如《论语·里仁》:“人之过也,各于其党。观过,斯知仁也。”朱熹注曰:“党,类也。程子曰:‘人之过也,各于其类。君子常失于厚,小人常失于薄。君子过于爱,小人过于忍。’尹氏曰:‘于此观之,人之仁不仁可知矣’”(朱熹,2014:71)。按朱熹所讲,仁是指被观者之仁,即通过“观过”而知仁者与不仁者,即区分仁者与不仁者。这似乎与“知仁”又有出入。程树德引《四书辩疑》称,“经文止言‘斯知仁矣’,未尝言不知仁也”(程树德,1990:243)。认为原文并无此义。根据何晏《论语集解》:“党,党类也。小人不能为君子之行,非小人之过,当恕而勿责之。观过,使贤愚各得其所,则为仁矣。”皇侃《义疏》义同何晏:‘过,犹失也。党,党类也。人之有失,各有党类。小人不能为君子之行,则非小人之失也。犹如耕夫不能耕,乃是其失,若不能书,则非耕夫之失也。若责之,当就其辈类责之也’(阮元,2009:5366)。两者皆把“过”解为过失、错误。按此说,观过,君子小人可“愚贤各得其所”,勿责小人,这便是仁人之风。那么,“知仁”者就不是被观者,而是观者。但问题是,小人犯错就可以原谅且不能“责之”?责了小人就不是仁人?这似乎于情理与逻辑皆不能通。孔子说,“惟仁者能好人,能恶人”。从此种解释来看,此句原文意思清楚,即观过者对于犯过者的立场态度,可以显示观过者的仁究竟是怎样的状况。可见,原文句法省略实多,实际上应是:“观人之过,斯知观者之仁也。”以下几个译文都不圆满:
理雅各:“The faults of men are characteristic of the class to which they belong. By observing a man’s faults, it may be known that he is virtuous.” (Legge,1870:17)
苏慧廉:A man’s faults all conform to his type of mind. Observe his faults and you may know his virtues. (Soothill,1910:31)
莱斯:“Your faults define you. From your very faults one can know your quality.”(Leys,1997:16)
道森:People’s mistakes all come in the same category in that, if one contemplates a mistake, then one gains an understanding of humaneness. (Dawson,1993:14)
亨顿:“A person’s various faults are all of a piece. Recognizing your faults is a way of understanding Humanity.”(Hinton,1998:34)
理雅各的翻译显示,犯过者和观过者非一人,且犯过者是仁人,从朱熹之训,不通。虽然孔子认为,仁者也有犯过之时,但反过来说并不成立。苏慧廉译文也从朱训,说人之过从其类,观人之过就可知其美德,也不通。莱斯注意到了原文的逻辑问题,其译文所表达的意思更是,一个人所犯的错说明了他属于哪类人及他的人品如何,正如朱熹所说,观过,“仁不仁可知矣”。道森的译文意思是一人思考了别人所犯的错,就理解了仁,而且前半句说,人们所犯的错都属于同一类。以上译文虽然本身不通达,但其训诂皆有所本。亨顿的译文说的是一个人对“仁”的理解方法,似乎是在说个人的自省,意思与原文差得更远。道森和亨顿的翻译就和其他的不一样,属臆测一类。
儒家典籍文本中除了使用句点之外本来没有标点。这为古今读者带来了很多麻烦,因为不同的句读,会产生完全相反的意义,令古今经学研究者也陷入了不尽的争论,竟成千古悬案。而对于西方译者麻烦就更大,他们一旦不能彻底研究经学注疏,或不能做出恰当判断,就会犯下大错误。这样的例子在《十三经》中颇多。例如《论语·里仁》“朝闻道,夕死可矣”可为一著例。如以下几个译文:
威尔:If you have learned about System in the morning, you may let yourself die that evening. (Ware,1955:35)
亨顿:If you hear the way one morning and die that night, you die content. (Hinton,1998:35)
道森:If one has heard the Way in the morning, it is all right to die in the evening. (Dawson,1993:14)
苏慧廉:He who heard the truth in the morning might die content in the evening. (Soothill,1910:30)
莱斯:In the morning hear the way; in the evening die content. (Leys,1997:16)
白牧之、白妙之: If one morning he should hear of the Way, and that evening he should die, it is enough. (Brooks,1998:15)
理雅各:If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret. (Legge:1870:25)
刘殿爵:He has not lived in vain who dies the day he is told about the Way. (Lau,1979:73)
以上八个译文的意思都是孔子认为道比生命还重要,或说话人对道的渴望。显然译者都将这句话当作了一般的陈述句来对待,即只要闻了道,那么死了也无憾。这似乎与朱熹的解释颇相吻合。朱熹注曰:“道者,事物当然之理。苟得闻之,则生顺死安,无复遗恨矣。朝夕所以甚言其时之近”(朱熹,2014:71)。而从唐以前注疏来看,事实并非如此。何晏《论语集解》注曰:“言将至死,不闻世之有道也”(程树德,2006:244)。皇侃《论语集解义疏》曰:“诚令道朝闻于世,虽夕死可也。伤道不行,且明己忧世不为身也”(程树德,2006:244)。何晏所注,意思为孔子叹自己“年已垂暮,道犹不行,心甚不慰,世治而死,乃无憾也”(程树德,2006:244)。这种解释近乎表达孔子急于闻道的心情,颇有道理,但实不可考,因为孔子此言的时间无可考证。何况,若道指的是天地之道或圣人之道,孔子岂是未闻道之人。孔子曾说,自己“欲仁得仁”。至于朱熹所言“理”字,则非孔子本意,孔子时代并不讲“理”,而是朱熹的理学阐释而已,并不符合历史事实。其实,皇侃疏中的“伤”字,已经明确道出孔子此句话的感叹之意,即孔子有生之年从未见得世上盛行自己所主张的王道,于是叹息曰,如果白天能得闻道,哪怕晚上死去也无憾,其意仅在强调自己急于听到世上盛行大道。从《左传》、《史记》对孔子的记载以及《论语》一书中孔子的言行可知,孔子一生周游列国,旨在行道,但当时没有一个国君能真正实行孔子的政治主张,他的“仁”道得不到统治者的贯彻执行,治国理想得不到实现,这是孔子一生中最大的遗憾。他在有生之年将看不到“仁”道的实行,看不到天下大治的政治局面,如果孔子能够看到他的“仁”的政治主张得到贯彻因而天下大治,哪怕是刚刚听到,他也就死而无憾了。这才是符合历史事实的。
古语主谓关系有时模糊,若复加以省略,则会给后人的解读带来许多不确定性,这对翻译来说,自然也是容易犯错的地方。例如《论语·为政》“父母唯其疾之忧。”父母究竟是该句的主语还是主题?不同的理解会造成截然相反的意思。如果当主语来看,那么父母与忧是主谓关系,如果当主题来看,除了这种关系之外,还可以理解为忧的发出者是人子,“其”是代词代替前文的父母,也通。何晏、邢昺就是按第一种结构来解释的。何晏引马融语注曰:“言孝子不妄为非,唯疾病然后是父母忧。”邢昺疏曰:“子事父母,唯其疾病然后可使父母忧之,疾病之外,不得妄为非法,贻忧于父母也”(李学勤,1999:17)。皇侃《论语集解义疏》说得更清楚:“言人子欲常敬慎自居,不为非法横使父母忧也。若己身有疾,唯此一条非人所及,可测尊者忧耳,唯其疾之忧也”(皇侃,1937:17)。朱熹的解释略有不同,关键在于将唯字解释为“惟恐”,意思就发生了巨大变化:“言父母爱子之心无所不至,惟恐其有疾病,常以为忧也。人子体此而以父母之心为心,则凡所以守其身者自不容于不慎矣,岂不可以为孝乎”(朱熹,2014:55)?此解可谓“最当深体”(程树德,2006:85)。然而,此句在历史上仍有别解,即以父母为主题,且忧者为人子,疾为父母之疾。论衡问孔云:“武伯善忧父母,故曰惟其疾之忧”(程树德,2006:84)。《淮南子说林》:“忧父母之疾者子,治之者医”(同上)。王充、高诱皆以为人子忧父母之疾为孝(同上)。但这种解释虽与《孝经·孝行章》“孝子之事亲也,病则致其忧”略合,但这里并没有说人子只须为父母的疾病感到忧虑则为孝子。而以上别解则都认为人子仅对父母的疾病感到忧虑就是孝,这并不合乎情理。以下的译文确实参考了朱注,但都有缺陷。例如:
理雅各:Parents are anxious lest their children should be sick. (Legge,1870:17)
苏慧廉:Parents should only have anxiety when their children are ill. (Soothill,1910:11)
理、苏两家翻译虽略得真解,却仍没有体悟到这句话的主语其实是人子,即人子当让父母无忧,除非自己有疾。而以父母为主语,则译文把人子忽略了,于是这句话似乎成了对父母的希望或要求。以下三例,其失在于illness是必然之事。而原义则是“凡所以守其身者自不容于不慎矣”,即要呵护好自己的身体,不致其染疾,以让父母无忧。
刘殿爵:Give your father and mother no other cause for anxiety than illness. (Lau,1979:65)
莱斯:The only time a dutiful son ever makes his parents worry is when he is ill. (Leys,1997:7)
亨顿:The only time you should cause your mother and father to worry is when you are sick. (Hinton,1998:12)
道森的译文以it代替孝字,且把孝局限在一个具体而短暂的时间里,违背了孔子原来的说话语气。
道森:It is when father’s and mother’s only worry is about one being ill. (Dawson,1993:7)
惟有翟林奈和威尔的译文既合训诂,又达原意和语气:
翟林奈:There is filial piety when parents are spared all anxiety about their children except when they happen to fall sick. (Giles,1907:54)
威尔:Let the sole worry of your parents be that you might become ill. (Ware,1955:26)
能取得这种效果,与译者深入研究原文句法,并深入研读古人注疏是分不开的。
儒家经典翻译首先需要以正确和深入的理解,而且是跨越时空的理解为基础,而训诂是理解的法门。要过此关,译者须有扎实的古汉语功底,同时还须有充足的训诂知识,并懂得训诂的基本方法。除此以外,译者还须有扎实的史学功底。懂得历史,不仅是先秦史,是做好训诂的基础,因为训诂涉及到古代社会和文化,包括当时的物质生活状况、思想生活状况、民俗与宗教、典制、名物、人物、典故等诸多方面。这对西方译者来说很难,但作为典籍翻译的特殊理解过程,却是必要的。译者应该清楚,理解儒家经典,最值得信赖的方法就是中国训诂学的方法,最值得信赖的解释就是历代经学的传笺注疏。郭在贻在《训诂学》(2013)一书中提出了训诂学的八种方法:一、据古训。即深入研究前人的训诂,并以此为依据。二、破假借,即善于甄别假借字,以识其真义。三、辨字形。四、考异文。五、通语法。六、审文例,即通过识别连文、俪文、对偶,和利用上下文、语篇等语境因素识别字的真义。七、因声求义。八、探求语源等。事实证明,翻译过程中,这些训诂方法虽然不必逐一照做,但有些是十分必要的。如据古训、破假借、通语法、审文例等。应当注意的是,依据古训固然必要,但仅依据一家之言,常难以保证对原文理解的合理性,译者需要广泛研究历代经学家的注疏。在我国训诂史上,汉唐长于文字训诂,宋长于义理,清长于考证,清代经学家如陈奂、马瑞辰、胡承珙、王先谦等人的训诂常能纠正汉唐经学家之偏,其训诂成果当今的译者不能不予以足够的重视。但是,译者不能仅依靠古训,以上八种训诂方法同样也适应翻译过程,因为译者必须有自己的理解,而自己的理解是对古训进行甄别的前提。在实际翻译操作过程中,如果西方译者这一知识或能力缺失,则须由中国古籍专家来弥补,中外合作是儒家典籍翻译的最理想模式,玄奘当年所主持的佛经译场早已证明了这一模式的优势。须指出的是,要求翻译过程中训诂的严谨性,并不意味着主张儒家经典翻译绝对不能是阐释学的,翻译在本质上是为译入语文化服务,翻译的阐释性无可厚非。但是,翻译更是为文化交流和共同发展,故还原性翻译同样十分必要。所以,在我国力求文化自信、自强,让“中华文化走出去”的当代诉求中,强调训诂,不是要译者完全独立地为训诂而训诂,那是古籍专家的事,而是要求译者具备足够的训诂意识和知识,翻译时不能脱离中国历代学者的训诂成果,而是要合理利用这些成果,保持我国古典思想的真实性。只有这样,儒家经典翻译才能真正走出去,也才能符合反对狭隘的民族主义、谋求全球共同发展的人类共同目标。
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(责任编辑:陈幸子)
Problems with Exegeses in Translating Confucian Classics
LI Yu-liang
(School of Foreign Languages, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China)
Translating classics correctly means good understanding of the archaic meaning of the originals. When translating Confucian classics, many of the translators made less efforts than necessary in exegesis of the archaic Chinese, resulting in variation and even errors in their versions. In the dimension of history and culture, many of them were inefficient in consulting related classics to clarify the historical backdrop of the cultural artifacts, institutions and systems, etc. so that they often replace them with their modern cultural likes. In the long run this has exerted heavy influence on the transmission of Confucianism in the western world. In today’s pursuit of “Let the Chinese culture go overseas”, precise exegesis is urgently needed in effectively translating and transmitting Confucianism.
Confucian classics; exegesis; English translation; “Let the Chinese culture go overseas”
10.16482/j.sdwy37-1026.2017-04-010
2017-05-28
本文为全国哲学社会科学规划一般项目 “儒家经典翻译传播与国家文化软实力建设研究”(项目编号:13BYY036)的阶段性成果。
李玉良(1964-),男,山东青岛人,教授,博士,硕士生导师。研究方向:典籍翻译、文学翻译、跨文化传播、海外汉学。
H159
A
1002-2643(2017)04-0078-13
典籍翻译·传播·出版研究 (主持人:李玉良)
主持人按语:近年来,我国政治经济在世界上的影响力迅速增长。在此背景下,文化影响力发展战略的课题被提上我国综合国力发展战略的议事日程,并受到广泛关注。与此相关的诸多课题,如儒、道两家经典的翻译与传播问题、中国科技经典的翻译与传播问题、中国古典文学的翻译与传播问题等,随之成为学术界关注的热点。我国传统经典翻译在海外的真实接受状况如何?从文化传播的角度看,文化经典的传译存在哪些基本问题?应该如何翻译我们的传统经典?经典传播的过程中存在哪些问题?当如何解决?这些都是亟待解决的问题。李玉良教授的论文《儒家经典英译中的训诂问题》,分析典籍中的器物、典制等历史文化元素由于翻译过程中训诂不当而造成历史文化错位的种种现象,认为译者在翻译过程中应树立训诂意识,注重综合历代典籍训诂成果,通过严格的训诂学判断,解决文化传译问题,以求中国文化真正有效地“走出去”。辛红娟教授的论文《文化旅行视域下的<道德经>英译图景剖析》,从文化固守、文化冲击以及对双重文化认证的角度,通过对《道德经》在英语世界一个多世纪的译介与传播状况的分析,指出《道德经》在英语世界的行旅中所经历的中西方文化冲击和西方对中国文化的认同,是一个由霸权至理性的良性发展过程。这颇能为未来我国传统经典译介提供借鉴。李伟荣教授的论文《中国科技典籍出版“走出去”的路径探索——以李约瑟<中国科学技术史>丛书为考察中心》,对李约瑟《中国科学技术史》的选题与规划、编辑出版特色、出版的现实意义与海内外传播影响及其局限性,以及对出版“走出去”的启示等问题进行剖析,从出版的角度探索中国科技典籍“走出去”的路径问题。提出应当借鉴李约瑟的长处,并吸取目前世界科学技术史的最新方法,结合考古的新发现,做好对外出版策划工作。这三篇论文,切中了我国经典的翻译与海外传播的部分要害问题,在很大程度上代表了经典翻译与海外传播研究的未来走向。