食人主義的必要：蒙田《隨筆》‧林語堂《生活的藝術》‧中國性‧文化翻譯

The Importance of Cannibalism: Montaigne's Essays as a Vehicle for the Cultural Translation of Chineseness in Lin Yutang's The Importance of Living

本文首先介紹法國散文家蒙田的著作「隨筆」在中國的翻譯史，然後介紹深受此書影響的林語堂的「生活的藝術」（1937）以及此書是如何針對美國讀者，用英文寫作的出版背景。最後，本文試圖探討林語堂接觸過蒙田著作的可能性。通過比較「隨筆」和「生活的藝術」的風格以及主題，本文作者發現這兩本書具有許多共同點並由此推測林語堂很有可能接觸過蒙田的著作。然而，雖然林語堂運用如蒙田一樣閒適的文筆，並且像蒙田一樣經常引導讀者反思他們對外國根深蒂固的偏見，林語堂在「生活的藝術」一書中卻從未提及蒙田的大名，反而強調他的文學風格深受中國文學傳統的熏陶。林語堂為何遮掩蒙田對他的影響呢？通過研究林與他兩位美國編輯Pearl Buck 和 Richard Walsh 的往來書信，本文作者發現其中暗示林語堂試圖迴避蒙田的原因可能是基于出版策略的考慮：掩蓋蒙田的影響使得林語堂能夠在與美國讀者產生共鳴的同時，能以正宗的中國人的身份自居。

This article begins by tracing the history of translations of Montaigne'sEssays into Chinese. Next it introduces Lin Yutang's Importance of Living(1937) and describes the circumstances under which it was published – inthe United States for American readers. Third, it speculates how Lin mayfirst have encountered the Essays. Stylistic and thematic evidence from withinThe Importance of Living strongly suggests that Lin knew Montaigne's work.Yet despite Lin's adoption of a Montaignien conversational tone and bothauthors' penchant for making readers reexamine their ingrained cultural stereotypes,Lin never mentions Montaigne as an influence. Instead, he inventsfor himself an indigenous Chinese literary heritage. Drawing on informationregarding Lin's relationship with his American editors, Pearl Buck andRichard Walsh, I argue that the decision to suppress Montaigne's name fromThe Importance of Living may have been strategic. Omitting mention of Montaigneenabled Lin both to present himself as a truly authentic translatorof Chinese culture to Americans and simultaneously to address his Westernreaders in a familiar and non-alienating manner.