翻譯空間：論傅雷的「神似」理論

Space of Translation: On Fu Lei's Theory of “Spiritual Similarity”

傅雷（1908－1966）是華文世界的翻譯名家，也是當代譯介法國文學卓有成就的重要譯者，一生譯著等身，譯質超群，更是一位從實踐中提煉出理論的翻譯家。他的「神似說」，即「以效果而論，翻譯應像臨畫一樣，所求的不在形似而在神似」（1951），是當前翻譯學重要的研究議題，它是繼嚴復提出「信、達、雅」理論（1898）後一個新的補述觀點。不過，「神似」的說法略嫌含糊籠統，不易掌握。本論文擬以當前最新的翻譯理論論述「翻譯空間」來梳理和對應傅雷的「神似說」，包括在「信達雅」基礎上的重要突破，亦即，文藝美學的要求（即「雅」的操作）以及譯文接受理論的新觀點。最後，本論文試圖以當前翻譯美學以及詮釋學中所強調的「譯者主體性」來補述他的「神似說」，從而提供學界一個較清晰明確的翻譯理論和操作模式。

Fu Lei was one of the most influential translators in the Chinese world aswell as the most representative translator of French literature of his time. Heemphasized “spiritual similarity,” stating that “For the purpose of effect, thetranslation should be like the reproduction of a painting, demanding spiritualsimilarity, not formal similarity”(1951). This stance became an importantissue for discussion among the Chinese theorists of translation. It servedas a supplementary comment to the famous triple principle of translationpreached by Yen Fu: Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance. However,Fu Lei's term, “spiritual similarity,” seems ambiguous and elusive. This paperaims to discuss Fu Lei's theory and his expansion on Yen Fu's dictum byemploying contemporary notions such as “space of translation,” the demandof aesthetics (e.g. that of “elegance”) and the theory of reader response to thetarget language. By integrating Fu Lei's idea of “spiritual similarity” and therecent research on “subjectivity of translator” in aesthetics of translation andhermeneutics, this paper tries to shed further light on translation theory andoffer a new model of operation.