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对《论语》中五个基本理念“新英译”的思考
文/任 华
【摘要】对中国哲学典籍的重新解读和英译需要译者慎之又慎，不能脱离先贤的思想境界，不能一味地否定前人的理解。本文通过对《论语》中五个基本理念“新英译”的分析，指出在中国哲学典籍的翻译中，准确透彻的理解是关键，以文本为中心是必然的策略。
【关键词】《论语》；中国哲学典籍；英译
【作者简介】任华(1973.11-)，女，汉族，天津人，天津外国语大学，硕士研究生，讲师，研究方向：翻译理论与实践。
一、引言
古往今来，人们在学习《论语》这部经典作品时，不断地进
行重新解读，同时，这部作品在被介绍给西方时出现了多个英译本，足见这部作品的影响力和魅力。对中国哲学典籍的重新解读需要我们慎之又慎，不能脱离先贤的思想境界，不能一味地否定前人的理解。在此，笔者满怀着恭敬之情拟就《对孔子教育哲学五个基本理念的重新解读与英译》(载于《中国翻译》2013年第6期)这篇论文(以下简称“原论文”)中一些“大胆假设合理的新解
读”和“新英译”谈一点粗浅的看法。
二、对《论语》中五个基本理念“新英译”的分析
1.对“子曰：学而时习之，不亦说乎？(1.1)”中“时”的理解。汉语典籍，凡是传世之作，开篇的首句都是极其重要的，它概括了全篇的宗旨。例如《中庸》的首句“天命之谓性，率性之谓道，修道之谓教”；《大学》的首句“大学之道，在明明德，在亲民，在止于至善”。这些语句给我们的印象极为深刻。《论语》开篇的第一句“子曰：学而时习之，不亦说乎？”也不例外，它概括了孔夫子的圣人之道，因此它的英译也就显得至关重要。原论文认为“学而时习之”的“时”，如果按照朱熹的传统
解读，理解为“时时”是显然不合情理的，因为学生很少会感到时常复习学过的内容能带来什么愉悦。于
是，原论文认为“时”的意思应当是“到时候”，“学而时习之”应理解为“到时候将学到的知识付诸实践”。那我们不禁要问：对学习的付诸实践，什么时候是“到时候”呢？学习圣贤成功与否，关键就在于我们能不能时时、时常，不间断地学习。其实孔夫子一生的表现正是这句话的实践，他“发愤忘食，乐以忘忧，不知老之将至”。这种境界的“时习”，因为“不亦说乎”。所以，时常不间断地付诸实践，是不是要比到时候付诸实践更胜一筹呢？
《说文解字》对“习”的解释是“鸟数飞”，意思是小鸟学习飞翔的手段是不断地扇动翅膀，在实践中学习飞翔。因此，只有时常地把所学的东西付诸实践才是有所成就、有所觉悟的根本。以下是转引自原论文的12种该句的英译，如果把“时”理解为“时时，时常”，得出的结论和原论文是相异的。笔者认为以
下是符合经典内涵的译文：[1] to learn with a constant perseverance and application (Legge)
[2] to acquire knowledge and constantly to exercise oneself therein (Soothill)
[3] To learn something and regularly practice it (Huang)[4] Having studied, to repeatedly apply what you have learned (Ames & Rosemont)以下是和圣人境界稍微有所偏离的译文：
[5] To learn and at due times to repeat what one has learnt (Waley)
[6] Having learned something, to try it out at due intervals (Lau)[7] To learn something and at times to p
ractise it (Dawson)
[8] to put it into practice at the right time (Leys)
[9] To learn and in due time rehearse it (Brooks and Brooks)
[10] To learn, and then, in its due season, put what you have learned into practice (Hinton)[11] To learn and then have occasion to practice what you have learned (Slingerland)[12] To learn and in due course practise what you have learned (Chen)
2.对“子曰：温故而知新，可以为师矣。(2.11)”中“而”
的理解。原论文认为“而”应该理解为“而且”，而不是“从而”。这里问题的焦点在于“温故”是“知新”的手段，还是旧知和新知是截然不同、没有内在联系的知识。根据我们学习的经验，获取到的“新知识”既有对已得之学的提升，也有对未知
道理的汲取，这两种对“新”的理解并无本质的区别。《论语集释》中有：“张氏备忘录：天地间只一道理，更无新故。功夫只在温故，温故则能自得，自得则日新”；“如朱子之说，所谓新者即故中之新，非故外别有新也”。应该说，这样对“新”的理解更为深刻。因此，“而”的两个理解，“而且”和“从而”都是讲得通的。由于我们没有证得圣人的境界，对圣贤经典的学习，不可能有唯一的解读。只要我们的解读能把
圣贤之道的意思准确地传达出来，不同层次的解读可以并存，读者按照自己的境
界选择其中一种去理解并接受，是很自然的事情。所以，笔者认为原论文中引用的12种译法，都可以接受，内化之后会丰富我们的英语表达。[1] keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new (Legge)[2] He who by reanimating the Old can gain knowledge of
the New (Waley)
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[3] A man [...] who gets to know what is new by keeping fresh in his mind what he is already familiar with (Lau) [4]b y k e e p i n g t h e o l d w a r m o n e c a n p r o v i d e understanding of the new (Dawson)
[5] He who by revising the old knows the new (Leys)
[6] Reviewing the old as a means of realizing the new (Ames & Rosemont)
[7] Warming up the old so as to understand the new (Brooks and Brooks)
[8] If you can revive the ancient and use it to understand the modern (Hinton)
[9] He who keeps on reviewing his old knowledge and acquiring new knowledge (Soothill)
[10] He who keeps reviewing the old and acquiring the new (Huang)
[11] Both keeping past teachings alive and understanding the present (Slingerland)
[12] A man who is able to review past knowledge and acquire new knowledge (Chen)
原论文认为正确的译法应该用“and”来翻译“而”，即第9到第12句译文。根据字典得知，其实“and”一词同时兼有“also”(而且，并且)和 “so as a result of this”(从而，然后)两个意思。由此，前8个译文也应是正确的。
3.对“子曰：自行束脩以上，吾未尝无诲焉。(7.7)”中“束脩”的理解。对于该句中“束脩”的理解，原论文否定了传统的解释，即“干肉”，认为把“束脩”解读为腊肉，与“行”在语义上不匹配。原论文采用的解释是“约束脩整”。“脩”理解为干肉，作为学生拜师求学的礼物，是有着深刻内涵的。古人教学是等着学生来求学，而不是主动去学生的。正如《易经》所说“童蒙求我，非我求童蒙”。这一点和我们现代社会中用
五花八门的招生广告来吸引学生是截然不同的。学生“自行”，就是自己主动带着一点儿礼物(干肉)拜师求学，这体现的是尊师重道的精神，依照一定的礼法，表明学生对老师的恭敬。孔子的精神境界早已超越对物质的贪求，怎么可能在乎一点儿干肉呢？他之所以有这样的要求，是希望来求学的人要有恭敬心，要讲求礼，这也正是孔子一贯实行的用礼来约束人们行为的具体体现。“自行束脩以上，吾未尝无诲焉”，可以理解为学生如果带着最低限度的束脩之礼来拜师求学，孔子就一定会教他，这是孔子对有恭敬心立志求学的人的一种承诺。
原论文把“自行束脩以上”理解为“凡自我约束以求上进”。这个解释也很好，依此原论文提出的译文也很好：“To those who decide to restrain and cultivate themselves for their advancement, I have never denied instruction”。
应该说以上两种对“束脩”的解释，都是解释得通的，所以原论文列举出的11个译本中的9种译文也是正确的。regularly什么意思
[1] his bundle of dried flesh (Legge)
[2] a bundle of dried flesh (Waley)
[3] a bundle of dried meat (Lau; Dawson; Brooks and Brooks)
[4] a bundle of dried pork (Huang)
[5] a few strips of dried meat (Hinton)
[6] a gift of dried meat (Ames & Rosemont)
[7] his simple present of dried flesh (Soothill)
[8] a token present (Leys)
[9] as little as a bundle of silk or a bit of cured meat (Slingerland)“束脩”理解为干肉，是学生表明求学决心的礼物。前6个译文采用的是异化策略的翻译方法，以期把中国文化介绍给英语读者; 第7个译文采用的是异化加解释的翻译方法，更有利于英语读者的理解; 第8个译文采用的是归化策略的翻译方法，使英语读者的理解完全没有障碍；第9个译文能够从程树德《论语集释》的“考证”中到依据。
由于异化的翻译会给不了解中国文化的英语读者带来一定的理解障碍，Waley的译文附有一个非常详细的注释：“As in modern Chinese school-fees are called ‘the bundle of dried flesh’, it would not occur to the average reader that shu xiu(束脩)in this passage could possibly mean anything but a ‘a bundle of dried flesh’, brought as a humble present to the teacher…”。注释中明确地说明了“束脩”的含义，有助于英语读者的理解。
4.对“子曰：民可使由之，不可使知之。(8.9)”中“之”的理解。杨伯峻对这句话的解释是“老百姓，可以使他们照着我们的道路去走，不可以使他们知道那是为什么”。原论文认为按照这样的理解，似乎孔夫子的主张有“愚民”之嫌。其实，这句话理解的关键在于“之”字，“之”应该理解为“大道”。正如《道德经》里讲“道可道，非常道”，真正的大道是无法用语言表达出来的，能讲出来的不是真正的道。圣人在这里不是不想给百姓说出“道”是什么，而是因为用语言实在很难让百姓明白，所以干脆就先不说了，不让百姓去“知”，而先让百姓去“由”，就是先去“行”，先去“从”。我们力行之后就会明白圣人所说的“道”的内涵。因此，原论文列举出的“之”的6种译文是言之有理的。
[1] a path of action (Legge)
[2] a course (Soothill)
[3] a path (Lau)
[4] something (Dawson)
[5] it (Waley; Huang; Brooks and Brooks; Slingerland)
[6] the way (Leys; Ames & Rosemont; Hinton) Waley在译文的注释中，说明“it”指“the Way”。根据Waley，“Tao means literally a road, a path, a way. Hence, the way in which anything is done, the way i
n which, for example, a kingdom is ruled; a method, a principle, a doctrine. It usually has a good meaning.”
原论文对这句话的理解是“民众可役使，就引导他们；不可役使，就去了解他们”，其英译为“When the masses can be drafted for service, lead them; when they cannot be drafted for service, try to understand them”，值得我们再斟酌。5.对“子曰：唯女子与小人为难养也。近之则不孙，远之则怨。(17.25)”中“女子”和“小人”的理解。最后探讨这句曾被人们广为误解的语句。原论文认为这句话中的“女子”应该指“年轻未婚女性”，“小人”指“性格不成熟的儿童或年纪小的
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学生”，这样的解释未免把“女子”和“小人”的范围划得太狭窄了，且极易造成误解。依照北宋经学家邢昺
的解释“此章言女子与小人皆无正性，难蓄养。所以难养者，以其亲近之则多不孙顺，疏远之则好生怨恨。此言女子，举其大率耳。若其禀性贤明，若文母之类，则非所论也”，这样很多的误解自然就消除了。“女子”和“小人”都因为缺少圣贤的教诲，人的本性没有完全开发出来，“无正性”就是感情用事，做事不够理智，所以这样的人很难养：与他们接近，他们就会失去恭敬和顺从；与他们疏远，他们就会怨恨。其实每一个没有成就圣人之道的人都可以说是“无正性”，“女子”“小人”只是作为举例提出来。这里的“女子”并不是指所有的女性，如邢昺所言，禀性贤明如文母(周文王之妻，武王之母)之类的女性不在此范围内。可见，这句话里孔夫子根本没有看不起女性的意思。
基于此，“女子”和“小人”的英译也就不必严格规定范围，原论文列举出的12种译文都是可以接受的。“难养也”的“养”的翻译虽然不尽相同，但是传递出来的意思应该是基于一
个问题的不同角度和层次的论述。[1] Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. (Legge)
[2] Of all people, maids and servants are hardest to keep in your house. (Soothill)[3] Women and people of low birth are very hard to deal with. (Waley)
[4] In one’s household, it is the women and the small men that are difficult to deal with. (Lau)[5] Only women and small men seem difficult to look after.
(Dawson)
[6] Women and small men are the most difficult to keep. (Huang)
[7] Women and underlings are especially difficult to handle. (Leys)
[8] It is only women and petty persons who are difficult to provide for. (Ames & Rosemont)[9] Women and little people are hard to handle. (Brooks and Brooks)
[10] It’s women and small-minded men that are impossible to nurture. (Hinton)[11] Women and servants are particularly hard to manage. (Slingerland)
[12] Only young girls and little people are difficult to
educate. (Chen)
三、 结语
关于典籍的诠释和翻译，刘重德教授认为“经无达诂”和
“译无定法”是经书翻译工作中天然存在的两大特点。在翻译过程中，译者有时势所难免有“仁者见仁”和“
智者见智”的现象出现，因而在表达上也随之而异。只要基本上符合原文精神，在翻译原则或标准上来说，就是完全容许的。在此笔者对原论文中提出的《论语》中五个教育哲学基本理念的重新解读和英译，大胆诚恳地提出了一些不成熟的看法，请专家读者不吝赐教，应该说是“温故而知新”。
参考文献：
[1]陈国华.对孔子教育哲学五个基本理念的重新解读与英译[J].中国翻译,2013(6).
A Comparative Study Between The Painted Veil and Its Homonymic Movie
文/罗皓琪
was hit by a plague in 1894. Therefore, what happened there became the stereotype of Maugham’s story. No wonder we could recognize some descriptions of the colonial period, from which we can learn Western attitudes towards China at that time.
Unconsciously, the author portrayed China as a poor chaotic colony. The first Chinese character to appear in the novel is the
owner of an antique shop. He is “a small man”. His bedroom Ⅰ. Background Setting
Compared with the book, the movie changed the whole background setting and added more details about Chinese society.
In 1920, Maugham travelled to China for four months and
learned the conditions and customs there deeply. In this novel, he set the story there because of his personal experience in the
colonial region in China. According to historical records, that region 【Abstract】The Painted Veil is a novel written by W. Somerset Maugham, first published in 1925. Eighty-one years later, a homonymic movie of The Painted Veil was put on screen. Though based on the original story line, the movie still got a lot of adaptions. This article compares the movie with the novel from two perspectives: the background setting and the plot and theme.【Key words】The Painted Veil; Chinese images; self-redeem
【作者简介】罗皓琪(2000.08-)，女，汉族，四川富顺人，武汉大学外国语言文学学院，本科二年级，研究方向：英
语语言文学专业。