体认语言学视野下的汉语成语英译——基于《三国演义》三个英译本的对比研究

A Study on the English Translation of Chinese Idioms from the Perspective of Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics—A Comparative Analysis of Three English Versions of Romance of the Three Kingdoms

摘要: 成语作为中国古典文学语言的精华，凝练传神、意蕴深厚，承载着厚重的历史文化底蕴，也正因如此，其英译往往成为翻译实践中的重点与难点。目前针对《三国演义》的英译研究已积累一定成果，但从体认语言学视角系统考察成语翻译机制的成果仍匮乏。本文基于体认语言学“现实–认知–语言”这一核心原则，提出成语翻译可分别从这三个层面择一或择二展开。文章以《三国演义》中75个涉及战争谋略、人物评价、政治外交的典型成语为研究对象，对比其在三个英译本中的具体译法，阐释不同层面对应的翻译策略，分析各位译者在认知加工路径与语用表达效果上的差异，以期为历史演义类小说中的成语英译提供一定参考。

Abstract: As the essence of classical Chinese literary language, idioms are concise yet vivid, rich in meaning, and imbued with profound historical and cultural significance. Precisely for this reason, their translation into English often becomes a focal point and challenge in translation practice. While academic research on the English translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms has yielded considerable results, systematic investigations into the mechanisms of idiom translation from an empathy-based linguistics perspective remain scarce. This thesis, grounded in the core principle of “reality-cognition-language” in cognitive linguistics, proposes that idiom translation can be approached by selecting one or two of these three levels. Using 75 representative idioms from Romance of the Three Kingdoms—covering military strategy, character assessments, and political diplomacy—as its research subjects, the article compares their specific translations across three English versions. It elucidates the translation strategies corresponding to different levels, analyzes differences among translators in cognitive processing pathways and pragmatic expression effects, and aims to provide reference for translating idioms in historical fiction.