林紓翻譯的真真假假 : 西方及非洲的形象

Abstract

Lin Shu, one of the prominent translators who introduced Western literature to a Chinese audience, translated more than 180 Western works during his career. His translations have the eloquence of refined language and a vivid spirit, therefore his works have been praised and criticized by a variety of scholars from a variety of approaches. But textual studies of his translations are still rare today. It is the intention of this paper to investigate, through textual comparison, the images of the West and Africa emerged in Lin's translations. This paper studies Lin Shu's translation strategy by comparing his versions of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom 's Cabin and Sir Henry Rider Haggard's She against the originals. Discussions will largely focus on the omissions Lin made in his translations, because we believe that, through systematic deletion of certain passages from the original, Lin actually imposed his judgment and advocated his ideas in his translations. Uncle Tom's Cabin tried to solve the acute racial and political problems of slavery by preaching the Christian idea of feminine "love". The solution to the problem of a society the author advocated is spiritual while that of Lin is by action. Lin removed most passages related to Christian ideas in his translation, but added a new kind of heroism in his time-to fight for one's own fate instead of awaiting liberation by God-so as to overturn the fate of an individual and China being ruled by foreign powers. Haggard's African adventure novel She was a psychological quest for the ultimate meaning of human existence and religion through the fantastic crises of life and death undergone by the protagonist. But after Lin's careful and systematic omission, all the metaphysical content was omitted, and the translation being a realistic adventure story which eulogizes human courage and triumph, which Lin tried to promote among the Chinese readers.