文學批評無用論On the Futility of Literary Criticism?

季羨林Ji Xianlin

| 譯文摘自張培基《英譯中國散文選一》

讀最近一期的《文學評論》，里面有幾篇關于“紅學” 的文章，引起了我的注意。有的作者既反省，又批判。有的作者從困境中找出路。有的作者慨嘆，“紅學”出危機。如此等等，煞是熱鬧。文章的論點都非常精彩，很有啟發(fā)。但是，我卻忽然想到了一個怪問題：這樣的“紅學”有用處嗎？對紅學家本身，對在大學里和研究所里從事文學理論研究的人，當然有用。但是對廣大的《紅樓夢》的讀者呢？我看是沒有用處。
In the latest issue of the Literary Review, several articles on Redology have attracted my attention. Some of the authors are introspective as well as critical; some try to find a way out of their academic predicament; some sigh with regret that Redology is faced with a crisis; and so on and so forth. The discussion is quite animated. The arguments set forth in articles are very interesting and enlightening. Nevertheless, a strange question has occurred to me: Is this kind of Redology of any use at all? It is of course useful to the Redologists themselves as well as to those engaged in the study of literary theory at universities and research institutes. But, to my mind, it is of little use to readers of A Dream of Red Mansions at large.

要點：
1，“紅學”指研究古典文學《紅樓夢》的學問，可譯為Hongloumeng scholarship，但不如Redology簡潔。Redology是由Red加詞尾-ology（學）構(gòu)成。
2，“反省”譯為introspective，和self-examining同義。
3，“慨嘆”=sigh with regret/emotion,或lament with regret ,這類詞文學翻譯中很常見（因為文學就是感慨和抒懷的嘛~），平時要注意積累，基本逃不掉lament bemoan, moan這些~
4，“如此等等，煞是熱鬧”中的“如此等等”是修飾前面列舉的內(nèi)容，“煞是熱鬧”是形容討論之激烈，因此分開譯為”…; and so on and so forth. The discussion is quite animated.” 體現(xiàn)了英文結(jié)構(gòu)清晰的特點。
5，“廣大的……讀者”譯為readers of …at large，其中at large是成語，和as a whole或in general同義。
6，“我看”意即“我認為”，現(xiàn)用成語to my mind表達。

綜述：本文為一篇小品文，是考試中?？嫉奈捏w，一般作者都是采用幽默詼諧的語言風格描寫一種現(xiàn)象，翻譯時要盡量貼近作者的語言風格

《紅樓夢》問世二百年以來，通過漢文原文和各種譯文讀過本書的人，無慮多少個億。這樣多的讀者哪一個是先看批評家的文章，然后再讓批評家牽著鼻子走，按圖索驥地去讀原作呢？我看是絕無僅有。
Ever since the publication of this novel some 200 years ago, hundreds of millions of people have read its Chinese original or its translations in various languages. Of these innumerable people, how many have read the novel by starting with a perusal of critics’ articles and allowing themselves to be led by the nose by the critics as to how to read the novel? Next to none.

要點：
1，“問世二百年以來”實際上是“問世約二百年以來”，故譯為Ever since the publication of… some 200years ago，其中some是添加成分，作“大約”解。
2，“哪一個是先看批評家的文章，然后再讓批評家牽著鼻子走，按圖索驥地去讀原作呢？”譯為how many have read the novel by starting with a perusal of the critics’ articles and allowing themselves to be led by the nose by the critics as to how to read the novel？
① 文中的“哪一個“并沒有直譯為which one,而是根據(jù)意思意思譯為了how many
② “先…”可譯為start with sth
③“被…牽著鼻子走”直譯為be led by the nose by sth/sb
④“按圖索驥“在這里指”按批評家的指點去讀原作“，其意思已包括在上面譯文中，故略而不譯。
3，“絕無僅有”作“極其少有”解，譯為Next to none，和Almost none同義。

綜述：這個本段注意那個問句的翻譯~

一切文學作品，特別是像《紅樓夢》這樣偉大的作品，內(nèi)容異常地豐富，涉及到的社會層面異常地多，簡直像是一個寶山，一座迷宮。而讀者群就更為復雜，不同的家庭背景，不同的社會經(jīng)歷，不同的民族，不同的國家，不同的文化傳統(tǒng)，不同的心理素質(zhì)，不同的年齡，不同的性別，不同的職業(yè)，不同的愛好——還可以這樣“不同”下去，就此打住——，他們來讀《紅樓夢》，會各就自己的特點，欣賞《紅樓夢》中的某一個方面，受到鼓舞，受到啟發(fā)，引起了喜愛；也可能受到打擊，引起了憎惡，總之是千差萬別。
All literary works, especially a monumental one like A Dream of Red Mansions, are extremely rich in content and involve diverse social strata – to such an extent that they virtually resemble a mountain of treasure or a labyrinth. And the readers are even more complicated, differing from each other in family background, social experience, nationality, country, cultural tradition, psychological condition, age, sex, profession, hobby, etc., etc. The list could go on endlessly, so I wouldn’t mind stopping here. They will each appreciate a certain aspect of the novel according to their own individuality. They may feel inspired and enlightened, and hence love it, or they may feel hurt, and hence loathe it. In short, the reactions vary.

要點：
1，“特別是像《紅樓夢》這樣偉大的作品”譯為especially a monumental one like A Dream of Red Mansions，其中monumental意為“重要的，意義深遠的，不朽的“比great更有力，更不朽（immortal）的意思。
2，to such an extent that 意即”到如此程度以至于…”，此處為增譯成分，之前我們也見過不少的增譯關聯(lián)詞或表順承的短語，增強行文語氣，使譯文更加流暢~
3，本段用了一共出現(xiàn)了10出“不同的”??！是明顯得不能再明顯的句式相同的結(jié)構(gòu)啊，要合并啊同志們~因此譯文只用一個differ from就把它們解決了O__O “…
4，“還可以這樣‘不同‘下去，就此打住”可以理解為“這樣的不同還有很多，因此呢我就不一一列舉了”。譯者轉(zhuǎn)換說法譯為The list could go on endlessly, so I wouldn’t mind stopping here意即“這樣的栗子還有很多，所以我不介意在這里停下”言外之意就是“反正栗子還有很多，我就不一一列舉了”，這個繞啊~
5，“也可能受到打擊”中的“打擊”作“刺痛”或“感情受到創(chuàng)傷”等解，不宜按字面直譯為feel attacked?，F(xiàn)全句譯為or they may feel hurt。
6，“受到鼓舞，受到啟發(fā)，引起了喜愛；也可能受到打擊，引起了憎惡，“譯為They may feel inspired and enlightened, and hence love it, or they may feel hurt, and hence loathe it.這是我們說了無數(shù)次的分句合譯合譯合譯~主語不必多說，就是”讀者“嘛，邏輯關系——因果思密達~

綜述: 注意分句合譯~本段雖長但是不難譯

對這些讀者來說，“紅學家”就好像是住在“太虛幻境” 里的圣人、賢人，與自己無關。他們不管“紅學家”究竟議論些什么，只是讀下去，讀下去。

因此我說，文學批評家無用。

不但對讀者無用，對作者也無用。查一查各國文學史，我敢說，沒有哪一個偉大作家是根據(jù)文學批評家的理論來進行創(chuàng)作的。

To them, the Redologists seem to be sages and men of virtue residing in the “Illusory Land of Great Void” and having nothing whatsoever to do with them. They just read on and on, caring not what the Redologists may say.

Therefore, I reiterate, literary criticism is useless.

It is useless not only to the readers, but also to writers. Looking up the literary history of each and every country, I dare say that none of the world’s great literary figures ever did their writing in line with the theory of literary critics.

要點：

1， 太虛幻境”引自《紅樓夢》第五回，曾被譯為Great Void Illusion Land和Illusory Land of great void等。
2， 文中將“圣人“譯為sage,”賢人”譯為men of virtue,這是因為在儒家文化里，“賢人”是指“善良，品德高尚的人”以上兩個栗子我們再次嬸嬸地體會到國學底蘊對于翻譯的重要性~~
3， 這里的“根據(jù)”一詞，譯為in line with，非文學翻譯中它也是個重點詞，除了下文使用的in accordance with ，常見的還有consistent with, be in keeping with,可以讓手里的according to歇會兒了。。。

綜述：注意“根據(jù)“一詞的同義詞~

那么，文學批評家的研究不就是毫無意義了嗎？也不是的。他們根據(jù)自己的文學欣賞的才能，根據(jù)不同時代潮流，對文學作品提出自己的看法，互相爭論，互相學習，互相啟發(fā)，互相提高，這也是一種創(chuàng)作活動，對文學理論的建設會有很大的好處。只是不要幻想，自己的理論會對讀者和作者有多大影響。這樣一來，就可以各安其業(yè)，天下太平了。
On the other hand, however, does it follow that the research done by literary critics is totally meaningless? No, that is not true either. In accordance with their own capacity for literary appreciation and the different historical trends, the views they put forward for mutual discussion, study, inspiration and improvement are also something creative and conducive to the development of literary theory. Only they should be under no illusion about their theories exerting powerful influence on the readership or writers. That is the way for each to have a role of his own to play and for peace to reign under heaven.

要點：
1，“文學批評家的研究不就是毫無意義了嗎？”譯為does it follow that the research done by literary critics is totally meaningless?其中it is follow that 意為“意味著”，如And, if it is, does it follow that globalisation has been a failure because its benefits have been pinched by the rich?（如果成立，是否意味著全球化已經(jīng)是一個失敗——因為其益處都被富人偷走了？）
2，“不要幻想”=be under no illusion about
3, “這樣一來”譯為that the way for sb to…，跟它功能相同還有in so doing,as a result, these efforts will allow us。。。,這種表示順承的短語通常會作為增譯的成分出現(xiàn)，使行文更加流暢~
4,”各安其業(yè)“=has its own position to play
“天下太平“=peace reign over the land/under the heaven

綜述：
注意本段講的表順承的短語，四字語的翻譯之前講了很多，本段的”各安其業(yè),天下太平“還需加入積累隊列~

上面這些話其實只有幼兒園的水平，可是還沒有見有什么人這樣坦率地說出來。就讓我當一個“始作俑者”吧！
What I’ve said above is only skin-deep, of kindergarten level. But so far none else have ventured to be equally candid. Therefore, let me be reconciled to being saddled with the epithet of “originator of a bad practice”.

要點：
1，“上面的這些話其實只有幼兒園的水平”譯為what I’ve said above is only skin-deep, of kindergarten level，其中skin-deep（膚淺的）是添加成分，用以襯托of kindergarten level。 此句將直譯和意譯相結(jié)合，既保留了原文的修辭手法，又令意思明朗直白~
2，have ventured to意為“冒險做某事”如Some of the refugees say that they have ventured north to check on their houses but did not feel safe enough to stay.
（有難民說，他們冒著生命危險回到北方，去看看自己的房子是否還在，但覺得那里依然不是安身之所。）
3，“就讓我當一個‘始作俑者’吧！”（始作俑者：第一個做某項壞事的人或惡劣風氣的開創(chuàng)者~）意即“姑且接受‘始作俑者’的稱號吧！”現(xiàn)按此意譯為Therefore, let me be reconciled to（接受） being saddled with（背負） the epithet(綽號) of “originator of a bad practice“。

綜述：
本段語言幽默，譯者分別采用直譯和意譯或二者結(jié)合的手段，既傳達了意思，又再現(xiàn)了原文風格，這是我們追求的終極目標。

聲明：本雙語文章的中文評析系滬江英語原創(chuàng)內(nèi)容，轉(zhuǎn)載請注明出處。中文評析僅代表作者個人觀點，僅供參考。如有不妥之處，歡迎指正。