梅維恆《道德經》英譯：副文本之文化翻譯探討

A Cultural-Translation Study of Paratexts via Victor H. Mair’s English Translation of the Tao Te Ching

本文透過觀察當代權威漢學家及文字學家梅維恆（Victor H. Mair）之《道德經》英譯本，檢視其試圖將具有中文文化特殊性（culture-bound）之宗教哲學（religiophilosophical）詞彙，例如其核心概念「道」、「德」與「經」在翻譯上達成跨文化語意轉換上所採取之詮釋考量及手法，可見於其副文本（paratexts）之大量使用，並探討其翻譯學上之文化翻譯（cultural translation）相關課題。本文首先將其置於阿派爾（Kwame Anthony Appiah）的「厚實翻譯」（thick translation）視角下觀察，以利於透過如附註（annotations）及其他學術文本形式的副文本等語言活動應用於跨文化之間的理解，即阿派爾所謂「學術翻譯」。接著，再將特定之副文本元素透過勒菲弗爾（André Lefevere）之意識形態（ideology）與韋努第（Lawrence Venuti）之異化（foreignization）及譯者能見度（visibility）之視角下觀察，以理解譯者在不同語言及文化間處理語意時之外部影響因素。本文期盼透過文化翻譯之檢視方式，探討梅維恆使用大量前言、注釋及附錄進行翻譯之《道德經》英譯本，能更深入理解賦予於學者型譯者（scholar-translator）的責任及其翻譯過程中之各種考量，以提供古文經典翻譯中原意呈現之跨文化轉換知見。

This paper looks at the authoritative sinologist and philologist Victor H. Mair’s English translation of the Tao Te Ching. It examines Mair’s use of paratexts to support his cross-cultural transfer of such highly Chinese-culture-bound religious and philosophical terms as Tao, Te and Ching from the Chinese source text into English. More specifically, it looks at Mair’s interpretative assumptions as well as methodologies. This brings into play several relevant issues with regard to the role of cultural translation within the wider field of translation studies. Firstly, the paper explores Kwame Anthony Appiah’s “thick translation” approach, and such cross-cultural linguistic practices as the use of annotations and of other forms of scholarly paratexts, in order that (in Appiah’s words) an “academic’ translation” is produced. Secondly, selected elements of these paratexts are examined in the light of André Lefevere’s notion of ideology and Lawrence Venuti’s notions of foreignization and visibility, to help us better understand the external factors requiring Mair’s careful considerations in the “transaction” of meaning across languages and cultures. This cultural translation study on Mair’s translation of the Tao Te Ching with extensive preface, annotations and back matter seeks to shed light, then, on the depth and complexity of the art of cultural-translation, itself so vital to cross-cultural understanding. 本文透過觀察當代權威漢學家及文字學家梅維恆（Victor H. Mair）之《道德經》英譯本，檢視其試圖將具有中文文化特殊性（culture-bound）之宗教哲學（religiophilosophical）詞彙，例如其核心概念「道」、「德」與「經」在翻譯上達成跨文化語意轉換上所採取之詮釋考量及手法，可見於其副文本（paratexts）之大量使用，並探討其翻譯學上之文化翻譯（cultural translation）相關課題。本文首先將其置於阿派爾（Kwame Anthony Appiah）的「厚實翻譯」（thick translation）視角下觀察，以利於透過如附註（annotations）及其他學術文本形式的副文本等語言活動應用於跨文化之間的理解，即阿派爾所謂「學術翻譯」。接著，再將特定之副文本元素透過勒菲弗爾（André Lefevere）之意識形態（ideology）與韋努第（Lawrence Venuti）之異化（foreignization）及譯者能見度（visibility）之視角下觀察，以理解譯者在不同語言及文化間處理語意時之外部影響因素。本文期盼透過文化翻譯之檢視方式，探討梅維恆使用大量前言、注釋及附錄進行翻譯之《道德經》英譯本，能更深入理解賦予於學者型譯者（scholar-translator）的責任及其翻譯過程中之各種考量，以提供古文經典翻譯中原意呈現之跨文化轉換知見。