浅析明清翻译高潮出现的原因

陈墨

08级3班

0801010301

Course: The History of Translation

Instructor:潘旭州

Date: 22/06/2010

Analysis of the reasons why there existed

a translation climax during late Qing dynasty

Abstract: Many translation works are charged to be unfaithful in modern translation climax, especially in the late Qing dynasty from 1840 to 1911.They are

lack of background of western language culture, which lead to the

mistranslation in the translation climax during late Qing dynasty. In order

to seize a better understanding of the translation climax during late Qing

dynasty, I will talk about it from social cultural background and analysis its

reasons, processes and characters.

Key words: translation, climax during late Qing dynasty,

The school of Westernization Movement

The school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization

Brief Introduction:

The disadvantages of study of the reasons why there existed a translation climax

during late Qing dynasty

Ⅰ.The reason of introduction of western learning in the late 20th century

ⅰ.The internal reason of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

ⅱ.The external reason of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

Ⅱ. The school of Westernization Movement and the school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

ⅰ.The school of Westernization Movement promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

ⅱ.The school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

Ⅲ.The characters of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

ⅰ.The ways of translation were special, especially in the beginning period----foreigners interoperated the works and Chinese took records.

ⅱ.The change of works types

ⅲ. The strategies of translation changed a lot.

Analysis of the reason why there existed

a translation climax during late Qing dynasty

For a long time, the study of translation has followed the严复’s “信，达，雅”, which focuses on the analysis of language and text control, rarely involves the problems of translation activities in the culture of target language. So many translation works are charged to be unfaithful in modern translation climax, especially in the late Qing dynasty from 1840 to 1911.They are lack of background of western language culture,

which lead to the mistranslation in the translation climax during late Qing dynasty when thousands of famous western works being translated into Chinese, mainly in the areas of economy, technology, political, philosophy, history, literature, and influence modern China society deeply and widely. This kind of action, which judge a work whether faithful or not just according to if it is faithful to its original on the literal level, is unfair。We cannot ignore the culture request and background. In order to seize a better understanding of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty, I will talk about it from social cultural background and analysis its reasons, processes and characters.

Ⅰ.The reason of introduction of western learning in the late 20th century

From the 18th century, Qing government secluded the country from the outside world, so the international communication was limited greatly. After nearly 200 years separation from the outside world, China was forced to open its gate to western countries. Many Chinese scholars thought of the situation China was in, and decided to safe China through learning advanced western countries. The first thing to do is to learn their language.

ⅰ.The internal reason of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

First, a large amount of translators and interpolators were needed in the increasing foreign affairs during that period .In 1861,Qing government set up a special agency named 总理衙门, which was aiming to deal with foreign affairs and to train professional translators and interpreters. In 1862, 奕 a greed to set up 京师同文馆in Beijing, considering the Language barrier between China and foreign countries. This agency also paid much attention on training translators, interpreters and diplomats, and it was a branch of总理衙门.Secondly, in the economy aspect, Capitalism had developed in Chain in some degree, there existed some potential readers of western works. Publishing had become a industry, and translator and interpreter had become special jobs. All above reasons promoted the appearance of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

ⅱ.The external reason of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

The series of losing made some officers aware that western countries were beyond

China in both military and technology, so they began to try to find ways to save China: to learn military and technology from western countries. Through the efforts of these officers, Westernization Movement and Political Reform came into being. This the very beginning of learning from the western countries in modern China and the very beginning of translating western works into Chinese in modern China.

Ⅱ. The school of Westernization Movement and the school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

ⅰ.The school of Westernization Movement promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty

Westernization Movement was a movement rising by the school of Westernization Movement .They realized the importance of building schools to train translators and interpreters. 奕 said,“臣等伏思：欲悉各国情形，必先谙其言语文字，方不受人欺蒙。各国均以重资聘请中国人讲解文义，而中国迄无熟悉外国语言文字之人，恐无以悉其底蕴。”So, in 1862, he leaded to set up 同文馆。One of the representatives of the school of Westernization Movement ，李鸿章said，“伏惟中国与洋人交接，比先通其志，达其欲，周知其虚实诚伪，而后有称物平施之效。”冯焌光，the principal of 江南制造局，said,“枪炮火药与轮船相维系，翻书与制造相表里，皆系今日要图，不可偏废。”These words typically expressed the main translation idea of the school of westernization movement. Another important member of the school of westernization movement, 张之洞pointed there were two disadvantages in translation learning at that time.“师生语言不通，恃翻译为枢纽，译者学多浅陋，或仅学其语而不能通其学，传失真理，毫厘千里，其不可解着，则以意删减之，改易之。此一弊也。即使译者善矣，而洋教习所受，每日不过两三时，所教不过一两事，西人积习，往往故作迟缓，不尽其技，以久其期，故有一加减法教一年者矣。即使师不惮劳，而一西人之学，能有几何，一西人师之费，已为巨款。以故学堂虽建，迄少成才。朱子所谓无得于心而所知有限者也。此二弊也。前一弊学不能精，后一弊学不能多。”He thought the best situation is “若能明习中学，又兼通西文。则有洋教习者，师生对语，不惟无误，且易启发；无洋教习者，以书为师，随性所近，博学无方。”His thoughts can be concluded as“多

译西国有用之书，以教不习西文之才。”

ⅱ. The school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization promoted the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

After the Sino-Japanese War, the focus of translation turned from introducing western military and technology to introducing western social science. 梁启超and 康有为raised Constitutional Reform and Modernization。They focused on translating Japanese into Chinese. According to statistic, the number of all the works translated during the late Qing dynasty is 533, and there are 321 translating from Japanese. There were three reasons for 梁启超and 康有为advocating for Japanese translation: First, since the Constitutional Reform and Modernization in Japan, Japanese had translated a large amount of books from western world, especially in economy, technology, political, philosophy. Secondly, Japanese was much more similar with Chinese than English or other foreign languages. The third, to learn Japanese was much faster than to learn English or other foreign languages. 梁启超believed we can make our more powerful through translating: “今日之天下，则必以译书为强国第一义，昭昭然也！”, and he concluded “三义”in translation:“一曰，译当译之本”.He meant that translators should translate the political books, text books, law books and history books; “二曰，定公译之例”.This principle meant translators should set up a system of standard translation of all kinds of names; “三曰，养能译之才”.梁启超thought that translators must good at Chinese, Japanese and the areas he or she translated. This was his famous “通学通文说”.

There were big differences in translation thoughts between the school of Westernization Movement and the school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization :“今此会先办译书，首译各国各报以为日报取资；次译章程、条教、律例、条约、公法、日录、招牌等书；然后及地图暨各种学术之书。……并设译学堂，专任此事。”

Ⅲ.The characters of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty.

ⅰ.The ways of translation were special, especially in the beginning period----foreigners interoperated the works and Chinese took records. This kind of corporation solved a lot of problem in translator-lacking time, but it also lead to

misunderstandings in works and influenced the accuracy.

ⅱ.The change of works types

The translation types changed from nature and technology to social science and literature. At the very beginning, scholars thought much of the translation of economy, nature and technology. Because they believed western countries exceeded China just in the technology areas but not in political area. This was the so-called“中学为体，西学为用”。However, after the Sino-Japanese War, the scholars started to realize political system was the problem. From then on, translators began to translate works on western political, philosophy, history, literature.

ⅲ. The strategies of translation changed a lot. Translators added, omitted and rewrote many parts of western works because they must made their translational version understood. For example, they translated names of people and palaces sounded more like Chinese. Translation is a kind of choosing and accepting of culture.

Conclusion:There are both internal reasons and external reasons of the translation climax during late Qing dynasty. The school of Westernization

Movement and the school of Constitutional Reform and Modernization

made great contribution to the translation climax during late Qing

dynasty. The ways of translation were special, the works types translated

during this period changed a lot and the strategies of translation also

changed.

References:

马祖毅. 《中国翻译简史五四以前部分》.北京对外翻译出版社

陈福康. 《中国译学理论史稿》.上海外语教育出版社

陈平原. 《20世纪中国小说史（第一卷）》.北京大学出版社