Hu Shih and Yan Fu: A Comparative Study of Their Translation Viewpoints

[[abstract]]此研究計畫乃是以嚴復與他的晚輩胡適的翻譯觀點來做比較研究，從而指出他們之 間的異同。探討面向有三：（一）翻譯動機：他們翻譯的動機都是要引進西洋新知、學 理來解決中國當時的困境。嚴復的翻譯主題較廣多為邏輯、政治、經濟、社會及科學等； 胡適的主題則較集中於「中國文藝復興」、新文化、文學語言的建構和教育，並受杜威 實驗主義的影響，「要輸入新的學理」來改造文學創作的方法，且帶有點個人喜好的性 質。（二）翻譯策略：嚴復的翻譯策略對象為當時讀古書中國的知識菁英，因此使用的 是傳統的文言文，貶近世利俗的文字，其翻譯原則要守住的是「意義則不倍（悖）本文」。 胡適的對象則是廣大的平民，主張用「漢字寫白話」，用活的語言，反對死的語言--文言 文。翻譯的第一個條件是「要使它化成明白流暢的本國文字」，與其譯而失真，不如不 譯。（三）翻譯目的與影響：嚴復翻譯書的目的就是要透過能讀古文的少數知識菁英， 在社會上方階層來做快速、有效改變並拯救當時的中國。但今日能流暢閱讀文言文的人 群已逐漸減少，傳播力有遞減之虞。胡適翻譯的目的就是要趕緊翻譯西洋的文學名著做 我們的模範，達成建設「國語的文學」與「文學的國語」；因使用白話文的主張，故能 持續維持與廣大讀者群的接觸。(四) 翻譯方法與運用: 以嚴復和胡適的翻譯思想與譯作 為基礎，用近代翻譯學方法來探討其現象，並驗證他們的翻譯主張與實務之間的關係。[[abstract]]This research proposal is a preliminary comparative study of the viewpoints of translation between Hu Shih and his predecessor Yan Fu, with an aim to show what they differ from each other in their translation businesses. There are three aspects for the exploration. (1) Translation Motivation: both of them used translation as a medium to introduce contemporary Western knowledge, thought, and theory new to China, in the hope that these could help solve the various difficult situations facing China then. The subjects Yan Fu covered for translation are mostly logic, politics, economics, sociology, and science, which are broader than those of Hu Shih, who rather focused on such topics as the “Chinese Renaissance,” the construction of new culture and literary language, and education with John Dewey’s Instrumentalism or Pragmatism as guidance. Hu also wanted to import new theories from the West in order to innovate on Chinese literary creation; Hu somehow considered his involvement in translation as a personal hobby. (2) Translation Strategy: Yan Fu adopted classical Chinese in his translations, a commonly used language among intellectual elite in Imperial China, while downgrading vulgate Chinese used by the ordinary people. Yan’s approach to translation was based on the principle that fidelity to the original meaning of the source text was the best strategy. However, by appealing directly to the general public, Hu employed vulgate Chinese, a living language, in his translations, for he believed that classical Chinese was a dead language and thus lacked vitality. Hu’s translating strategy is to domesticate the foreign text, making it as clear and fluent as if it were originally written in a living Chinese language. Furthermore, Hu would rather not do translation if he failed to keep the original meaning. (3) Translation Purpose and Influence: Yan Fu’s goal of doing classic Chinese translations of those Western works was to arouse the awareness of the literati in the upper social class because most of them were in the civil service and could exert their authority to reform the government in the way of rescuing China from her backwardness. But, in the course of time, the Chinese readers well-versed in classic Chinese are now dwindling in number. Consequently, the strength in disseminating Yan’s ideas seems to be on the decline gradually. Hu Shih’s aim of doing vulgate Chinese translations of Western works was geared to setting up examples for the Chinese scholars to emulate them, and meanwhile producing what he termed “literature in the national language” and “the national language of literary worth.” As of today, Hu’s advocacy of adopting vulgate Chinese as a vehicle for creative writing and translation has been proven to be justifiable and it still sustains a large readership. (4) Translation methodology and its application: using the translation views and translated works of Yan Fu and Hu Shih as a research base for possible explorations into their translating activities and relationships between their ideas and practices for translation in light of contemporary translation studies.[[note]]NSC102-2410-H327-02