《淮南子》译本文化专有项英译群体的译者行为比较研究

A Comparative Study of Translator Behavior in English Translation of Culture-Specific Terms in Huainanzi

摘要: 中国传统典籍《淮南子》经久不衰，蕴含着丰富的中华文化意象和异质成分，具有鲜明的中华文化特色。本文梳理了《淮南子》两个中西译者译本中的文化专有项英译文，从中医、天文和神话术语三个典型方面，分析其对于中华文化特有词汇英译策略的异同。基于译者行为批评理论，探究不同译者群体文化专有项英译的译者行为及其动因，以期为“中国文化走出去”大背景下的中国文学外译，尤其是传统典籍文化专有项的英译理论和实践提供一些参考。

Abstract: The traditional Chinese canon, Huainanzi, has endured for a long time and contains a wealth of Chinese cultural imagery and heterogeneous components, with distinctive Chinese cultural characteristics. This paper sorts out the English translations of culture-specific terms in two Chinese and Western translators’ editions of the Huainanzi, and analyses the similarities and differences in their strategies for translating Chinese culture-specific terms from three typical aspects: Chinese medicine, astronomy and mythological terms. Based on the theory of translator’s behaviour criticism, the paper explores the translator’s behaviours and their motivations in the translation of cultural items by different groups of translators, with a view to providing some references for the translation of Chinese literature under the background of the “going abroad” strategy of Chinese culture, especially for the theory and practice of translation of cultural items in Chinese classics.