基于语料库的《瓦尔登湖》英译本隐喻研究

A Corpus-Based Study of Metaphors in the English Translations of Walden

摘要: 本研究基于语料库方法，系统考察《瓦尔登湖》英译本中的隐喻现象，旨在揭示隐喻的类型特征、分布规律及其翻译策略。通过构建双语平行语料库，结合文本细读法，研究对徐迟和王家湘两个中译本中的隐喻表达进行识别、分类与对比分析。研究发现，自然隐喻在文中出现频率最高，集中于景观描写段落，体现了梭罗对自然的深刻感知；人生隐喻次之，多见于哲理性章节，承载其对时间与生命本质的思考；社会隐喻频率较低，但富有批判性，折射出梭罗对现代工业文明的反思。在翻译策略上，徐迟译本偏重直译，注重保留原文形式与异质文化意象，适合学术型读者；王家湘译本则倾向意译，强调译文的流畅性与文学表现力，更贴近普通读者的阅读习惯。两种策略各具优势，形成互补，共同丰富了原作在中文语境中的接受形态。本研究为文学翻译中的隐喻处理提供了实证参考，亦为数字人文视域下的翻译研究拓展了方法论路径。

Abstract: This corpus-based study systematically examines metaphors in the English translations of Walden, aiming to reveal their typological features, distributional patterns, and translation strategies. By constructing a bilingual parallel corpus and combining quantitative statistics with qualitative analysis, the study identifies, classifies, and compares metaphorical expressions in two Chinese translations—those by Xu Chi and Wang Jiaxiang. The findings show that natural metaphors occur most frequently, concentrated in passages describing landscapes, reflecting Thoreau’s deep perception of nature; life metaphors rank second, appearing mostly in philosophical sections, conveying his reflections on time and the essence of life; social metaphors are less frequent but rich in critical force, revealing Thoreau’s critique of modern industrial civilization. Regarding translation strategies, Xu Chi’s version tends toward literal translation, preserving the original form and exotic cultural imagery, which suits academic readers; Wang Jiaxiang’s version leans toward free translation, emphasizing fluency and literary expressiveness, which is more accessible to general readers. The two strategies have their own merits and complement each other, jointly enriching the reception of the original work in the Chinese context. This study provides empirical evidence for metaphor handling in literary translation and expands methodological pathways for translation studies from a digital humanities perspective.