严复的《天演论译例言》翻译

严复的《天演论译例言》

原文

译事三难：信、达、雅。求其信已大难矣，顾信矣不达，虽译犹不译也，则达尚焉。海通已来，象寄之才，随地多有，而任取一书，责其能与于斯二者则已寡矣。其故在浅尝，一也；偏至，二也；辨之者少，三也。今是书所言，本五十年来西人新得之学，又为作者晩出之书。译文取明深义，故词句之间，时有所颠倒附益，不斤斤于字比句次，而意义则不倍本文。题曰达旨，不云笔译，取便发挥，实非正法。什法师有云：学我者病。来者方多，幸勿以是书为口实也。

Translation involves three requirements difficult to fulfill: faithfulness, comprehensibility and elegance. Faithfulness is difficult enough to attain but a translation that is faithful but not comprehensible is no translation at all. Comprehensibility is therefore of prime importance. Sin ce China’s opening to foreign trade by sea, there has been no lack of interpreters and translators. But if you assign them any book to translate and tell them to meet these two requirements, few can do so. The reasons for their inability are superficiality, partiality and lack of discrimination. This book is based on the new knowledge of the West acquired during the last fifty years and was one of the author’s later works. My translation attempts to present its profound thought. It does not follow the exact order of words and sentences of the original text but reorganizes and elaborates. However, it does not deviate from the original ideas. It is more an exposition than a translation as it seeks to elaborate – an unorthodox way of translation. Kumarajiva sai d: “Whoever imitates me would fall.” There will be many others coming after me in translation work; I sincerely hope that they will not use this book as

an excuse for their fallings.

( Translated by C.Y. Hsu)

注评：

1.“虽译犹不译也”译为“… no translation”较为合适，no 放在名词前能起到

加强语气的作用。

2.则尚达也：尚，尊崇、重视；主要在于。译为“of prime importance”。

3.象寄之才：《礼记.王制》中记载：五方之民，言语不同，嗜欲不同。达其志，

通其欲：东方曰寄，南方曰象，西方曰狄鞮，北方曰译。所以译员在古代又可称为“象寄之才”，译为“translators and interpreters”

4.其故在浅尝，一也；偏至，二也；辨之者少，三也。此句合并译为“The reasons

for their inability are superficiality, partiality and lack of discrimination.”比较简练，符合英语的习惯。如果译为“firstly，… secondly…, and thirdly…”则显起来冗余。

5.今是书所言：译为“This book”即可，不必译为原书名。因为“是书”在此

既可指“原著”也可指“你面前的这本书”。

6.而意义则不倍本文：倍，通“背”，违背。此处是指不违背原文主旨大意，故

译为“… it does not deviate from the original ideas.”

7.达旨：表达主旨。

8.取便发挥：取便，取其方便。发挥，阐发，把意思或道理充分表达出来。故

译为“It is more an exposition than a translation as it seeks to elaborate…”

9.什法师有云：学我者病。什法师，指鸠摩罗什，姚秦时期佛经翻译大师，其

翻译较为随意，据近代陈寅恪考证，“罗译删掉原文的繁复之处，而且不拘原

文体制，经常变易原文。”此处严复在引用鸠摩罗什的话来阐明自己的观点。

鸠摩罗什不能译为拼音“Jiumoluoshi”,应译为“Kumarajiva”。学我者病：病，指失败。故译为“fall”较好。

10.来者方多，幸勿以是书为口实也。此句为严复所言，而非鸠摩罗什所言。口

实，借口。故译为“I sincerely hope that they will not use this book as an excuse for their fallings.”