文学性寄托于文学形象的再生——以霍克斯和王际真《红楼梦》译本对比为例

The Literary Essence Embodied in the Reincarnation of Literary Images —A Comparative Study of David Hawkes’ and Chi-Chen Wang’s English Translations of A Dream of Red Mansions

摘要: 本文聚焦文学翻译中文学形象的再生问题，以王际真与霍克斯的《红楼梦》英译本为研究对象，运用文本细读与对比分析法，深入考察两位译者在处理原著人物、意象时所展现的译者策略及其效果。研究发现，两位译者策略迥异：王译重“实”，如工笔力求形貌忠实，优先传播价值，虽为西方读者架设理解桥梁，却难免折损文化意蕴与文学风致；霍译求“活”，似写意纵笔融入英语诗学，通过精妙遣词深度刻画人物心理、强化阶级差异、传递复杂意蕴，虽偶有变形，却常得神韵。文学形象再生的精髓，正在于“实”与“活”的张力平衡。本研究对这一策略差异的剖析，不仅深化了对文学翻译本质困境(如何在目的语中复现原文“滋味”与“陌生化”诗意)的理解，彰显了译者在归化与异化间的抉择智慧，也为经典文学外译实践提供了重要参照——理想的翻译需在珍视原著文化特质与实现跨文化有效流通间寻求“化境”。

Abstract: This paper centers on the reincarnation of literary images in literary translation. Taking the English translations of Dream of the Red Chamber by Chi-Chen Wang and David Hawkes as its focus, it employs close reading and comparative analysis to meticulously examine the translation strategies adopted by these two translators in rendering the original characters and imagery, and the resulting effects. The research reveals a stark divergence in their approaches: Wang’s translation prioritizes “substantiality”, akin to meticulous brushwork aiming for formal fidelity. While prioritizing dissemination value and building a bridge of comprehension for Western readers, this approach inevitably entails some compromise in conveying the depth of cultural connotations and literary finesse. In contrast, Hawkes’ translation pursues “vitality”, resembling freehand brushwork that actively integrates into the English poetic tradition. Through masterful diction, Hawkes delves deeply into character psychology, accentuates class distinctions, and transmits complex nuances. Although occasionally resulting in formal deviations, his version frequently succeeds in capturing and conveying the original’s spirit. The study concludes that the essence of successful literary image reincarnation lies precisely in the dynamic tension and balance between “substantiality” and “vitality”. This in-depth analysis of their strategic differences not only deepens our understanding of the fundamental dilemma in literary translation—namely, how to effectively recreate the original’s unique “flavor” and the poetic quality born of “defamiliarization” in the target language—but also highlights the translator’s discernment in navigating between domestication and foreignization. Crucially, it provides a vital point of reference for the practice of translating classical literature: the ideal translation, aspiring to the “sublimation” advocated by Qian Zhongshu, must strike an optimal balance between faithfully preserving the cultural essence of the source text and enabling its spirit to resonate effectively and find new life within a different cultural context.