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[王燕]《花笺记》:第一部中国“史诗”的西行之旅(5)


    需要注意的是,本着社会学、文化学立场阅读《花笺记》,中西差异就会以一种匪夷所思、光怪陆离的面貌呈现出来。某些措辞在西方读者看来莫名其妙、不可理喻。如,汤姆斯把“嫦娥”(Chang-go)看作是“中国的维纳斯”(the Venus of China);把哈德斯(Hades)看作是“中国的天堂”(the Chinese paradise)。在故事情节与内容方面,站在西方读者的角度,某些翻译非但不可思议,简直荒诞离奇。比如,《评论季刊》指出,中国男女婚前无缘见面,彼此之间也就不可能产生爱情。这部作品中的爱情本来就是无源之水、无本之木。姚仙的为情焚物、玉卿的为情投江,在他看来就不免显得夸张做作,乃至滑稽可笑(38)。又如,“誓表真情”一节,梁生与姚仙私定终身,名香三炷,禀知神灵,在西方读者眼里,这种宣誓方式简直异想天开、荒唐至极。评论员甚至将这种习俗与文化上的差异转嫁到译者头上,他说:“汤姆斯先生翻译的古怪行为相当可笑,虽然这出自诗中最好的章节。”(39)由此可见,种种文化差异引起的惊诧比比皆是。
    了解起于误解,止于理解,作为第一部以中国式“史诗”翻译到西方的长篇叙事诗,《花笺记》虽然不足以代中国“立身立言”,但它却使双方站在了通往彼此的路上,真正的交流终于成了一个可以企及的目标。
    注释:
    ①③[美]梁培炽:《〈花笺记〉会校会评本》,第4页,第67页,暨南大学出版社1998年版。
    ②(29)[美]梁启昌:《论木鱼书〈花笺记〉的英译》,《逸步追风:西方学者论中国文学》,第256页,第257页,学苑出版社2008年版。
    ④(10)Robert Morrison:A Dictionary of the Chinese Language,in Three Parts:English and Chinese,Vol.Ⅲ.Part Ⅰ,London:Published and Sold by Kingsbury,Parbury,and Allen,Leadenhall Street.Macao,China:Printed at the Honorable East India Company's Press.By P.P.Thoms.1823.p.152.p.152.
    ⑤The Death of the Celebrated Minister Tung-Cho.The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register.London:printed for Black,Kingsbury,Parbury,& Allen,Booksellers to the Honorable East-india Company,Leadenhall Street.Vol.Ⅹ.July to December,1820.p.525.
    ⑥Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff:China opened,Vol.1.London:Smith,Elder and Co.,1838.p.468.
    ⑦E.W.THWING:Chinese Fiction,from The China Review,or notes & queries on the Far East,Vol.22.No.6(1897),p.p.760-761.
    ⑧陈铨:《中德文学研究》,第19—20页,商务印书馆,1936年版。E.W.Thwing与陈铨所列“十才子书”具体书目略有差异,前九种相同,分别为:三国志An Account of the Three Kingdoms;好逑传A Pleasing Love Story;玉娇梨The Two Fair Cousins;平山冷燕Two Young Literary Girls;水浒传An Account of the River Robbers;西厢记The History of the Western Halls;琵琶记The History of a Lute;花笺Chinese Courtship;平鬼传The Pacification of the Devils。最后一部作品,前者为《白圭传》(The Story of the White Jade),后者为《三合剑》。
    ⑨William Milne:A Retrospect of the First Ten Years of the Protestant Mission to China.Malacca:Printed at the Anglo Chinese Press.1820.p.130.
    (11)(31)Robert Morrison:A Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect,Part.Ⅲ.Chinese Words and Phrases.Macao,China.printed at the Honorable East India Company's Press,by G.J.Steyn and Brother.1828.
    (12)(17)(21)(30)(33)Peter Perring Thoms:Chinese Courtship in Verse,London:Published by Parbury,Allen,and Kingsbury,Leadenhall-street,Sold by John Murray,Albemale-street; and by Thomas Blanshard,14,City-road.Macao,China.Printed at the Honorable East India Company's Press,1824.Preface.Vii.Preface.Xii.Preface.Xiii.Preface.V.p.p.77-78.
    (13)杨宝霖:《花笺记研究》,东莞理工学院学报,第13卷第5期,2006年10月,第102页。
    (14)Andrew C.West魏安(comp.):Catalogue of the Morrison Collection(马礼逊藏书书目),London:School of Oriental & African Studies,1998.p.263.
    (15)(20)George Thomas Staunton:Miscellaneous Notices Relating to China,and Our Commercial Intercourse with That Country.London:John Murray,Albemable-street.1822-1850.p.p.65-68.p.114.
    (16)Sir John Bowring:Specimens of the Russian Poets:With Introductory Remarks:Part the Second G & W.B.Whittaker,1823.Introduction.
    (18)The Quarterly Review,Vol.XXXVI.Published in June & October,1827.London:John Murray,Albemarle Street.p.498.
    (19)Galignani's Magazine and Paris Monthly Review.June.1823.
    (22)The Monthly Review.from January to April Inclusive.1826.Vol.1.London:Printed for Hurst,Robinson,And CO.p.540.
    (23)(24)(37)(38)Chinese Courtship,The Oriental Herald,and Journal of General Literature.Vol.Ⅸ.April to June,1826.London:Printed for the Editor,and Sold by all Booksellers.MDCCCXXVI.p.25.p.22.p.18.p.19.
    (24)(39)(40)The Quarterly Review,Vol.XXXVI.Published in June & October,1827.London:John Murray,Albemarle Street.p.511.p.505.p.507.
    (25)On Translation of Chinese Poetry,The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register,London:Parbury,Allen,and Co.,Leadenhall Street.May 1830,p.32.
    (26)Samuel Wells Williams:The Middle Kingdom.London:W.H.Alien.1883.p.704.
    (27)A Dissertation On The Ancient Chinese Vases of the Shang Dynasty from 1743 to 1496,B.C.Illustrated with Forty-two Chinese wood engravings.By P.P.Thoms,Author of “the Affectionate Pair,” “Chinese Courtship,” & c.,& c.London:Published by the author,12,Warwich-square; and sold by James Gilbert,49,Paternoster-row.1851.
    (28)The Emperor of China V.The Queen of England.A Refutation of the Arguments Contained in the Seven Official Documents.Transmitted by Her Majesty's Government at Hong-kong Who Maintain That the Documents of the Chinese Government Contain Insulting Language.By P.P.Thoms,Author of“the History of Sun-king”:“The Chinese Courtship”:“The Vases of the Shang-dynasty”; & c.,& c.London:Published by P.P.Thoms,Warwick-square.1853.“the History of Sun-king”即“the Affectionate Pair”,这是汤姆斯1820年翻译的《古今奇观》中的《宋金郎团圆破毡笠》。
    (32)The Oriental Herald,and Journal of General Literature.Vol.Ⅸ.April to June,1826.London:Printed for the Editor,and Sold by all Booksellers.MDCCCXXVI.p.23.汤译本“柳荫哭别”误译为“竹荫哭别”Taking Leaving Beneath the Ramboos.
    (35)Chinese Poetry,The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register.London:printed for Kingsbury,Parbury,& Allen,Booksellers to the Honorable East-india Company,Leadenhall Street.Vol.XX.July to December,1825.p.408.
    (36)Sir John Bowring:The Flowery Scroll A Chinese Novel,London:WM.H.Allen & CO.,13,Waterloo Place,Pall Mall,S.W.1868.preface.
    作者简介:王燕,中国人民大学文学院
    (来源:《文学评论》2014年第5期 )
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