余国藩对《西游记》女妖形象隐喻的英译——以关联理论为视角

On the English Translation of Female Demon Imagery Metaphor in the Journey to the West by Anthony C. Yu—From the Perspective of Relevance Theory

摘要: 关联理论(Relevance Theory)是认知语用学领域的核心理论之一，它颠覆了传统语用学对语言规则的静态分析，将语言交际视为一种动态的推理过程，强调人类通过寻求“最佳关联”来优化认知资源的分配。隐喻的本质是通过跨概念域的映射创造新意义。关联理论强调，这种映射并非静态的“概念替换”，而是听话者在动态语境中通过推理捕捉最佳关联的过程。隐喻的理解依赖听话者调用认知环境中的多元信息(如文化背景、个人经历)。《西游记》对女妖外貌形象的描述，蕴含着丰富的隐喻，具有较高的审美价值和文化内涵。余国藩英译本《西游记》通过明示意象映射法、语境适配的意译转换法、推理支持型显性加注法以及非关联信息过滤优化法等策略，传达了原著中女妖外貌形象的隐喻含义，使原文与译文达到了最佳关联。分析对女妖外貌描写的隐喻翻译，有助于进一步优化中国文化典籍对外翻译与传播策略，架设文明互鉴之桥梁。

Abstract: Relevance Theory, a core framework in cognitive pragmatics, revolutionizes traditional pragmatic analysis by re-framing linguistic communication as a dynamic inferential process. It posits that humans optimize cognitive resource allocation through the pursuit of “optimal relevance”. The essence of metaphor lies in cross-domain conceptual mapping that generates novel meanings. Contrary to static “conceptual substitution” models, Relevance Theory emphasizes that metaphor comprehension involves listeners dynamically capturing optimal relevance within evolving contexts, drawing upon multivariate cognitive resources such as cultural backgrounds and personal experiences. The physical descriptions of female demons in the Journey to the West embody rich metaphors possessing significant aesthetic value and cultural depth. Anthony C. Yu’s English translation employs four strategic approaches: explicit image-mapping, context-adaptive free translation, inference-supported explicit annotation, and non-relevant information filtering. These methods effectively convey the metaphorical connotations embedded in the original text’s depictions of demonesses’ appearances, achieving optimal relevance between source and target texts. Analyzing the metaphor translation of these female demons portrayals provides valuable insights for refining translation strategies of Chinese cultural classics and bridging civilizations through enhanced cultural understanding.