论“无本回译”“佚本回译”及“文化还原”*

A Study on "Text-less Back-translation" "Text-lost Back-translation" and "Cultural Restoration"

  • 摘要: 无本回译已成翻译研究热点,但目前对此概念的界定不仅仍存歧义,还反使何为回译变得不甚明了。本文认为造成这种模糊的原因,在于国内译学语境中,“还原”“文化还原”等观念主导了与回译相关的议题之探讨。而在国外译学脉络中,“回译”与“还原”并非不可切分,在具体语境下甚至可能呈现对立之势。“文化还原”要在“求似”,于译者言,尤其针对语言形式的模仿,当下讨论较多的“无本回译”正是一种“求似”之译。然“求似”之译不必一定是回译,因原本佚失造成的回译才是真正意义上的无本回译——本文将这种回译称为“佚本回译”,与当下热议的“无本回译”以示区隔。前者确是回译,后者只是一种“伪回译”,但二者却分享着几大相通之处:相似的翻译策略(皆有所本)、相当的阅读期待(几可乱真)和相同的翻译目的(文化还原)。

     

    Abstract: Text-less back-translation has become a hot issue in Translation Studies in China.But the definition and reference of it are somewhat obscure.This fuzziness further leads to the uncertainty of the meaning of back-translation.The reason for this fuzziness lies in the fact that discussions of back translation have often been coupled with restoration and cultural restoration in Chinese contexts.Whereas in English back translation and restoration are not inexorably linked together, and sometimes even represent opposite meanings.Cultural restoration hinges on the likeness, especially of linguistic forms to translators.The so-called text-less back translation, which targets at cultural restoration, is not necessarily a back translation at first place.However, text-less back translation in its real sense does exist for the loss of original work.In order to differentiate it with the present text-less back-translation, this paper calls it text-lost back-translation.Although text-less back-translation is not a back-translation, which can only be deemed as a pseudo back-translation but it is no coincidence that real back-translations and pseudo ones share much in common.For example, similar translation tactics (the imitation of Chinese texts the original authors write or translate), identical reading expectation (passing for originals) and the same translation goal — cultural restoration.

     

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