翻譯名與實：嚴復與修辭

Translation, Name and Essence: Yen Fuh and Rhetoric

嚴復翻譯研究，經常圍繞在「信達雅」之說。但本文擬跳脫此種論述主軸，而將嚴復之「翻譯」、「論述」與「詮釋」，視為彼此相互關聯之言語行為，並以修辭視野，考察嚴復散見各處之翻譯修辭論述與實踐。本文首先考掘嚴復翻譯修辭論述之話語脈絡，並指出除中國傳統儒、道思想外，嚴復亦受西方啟蒙情理觀之影響。再者，名實之辨，為西方啟蒙哲學之重要命題，而嚴復於其翻譯修辭論述與實踐之中，亦經常出現名實之辯證關係。最後，本文探究西方「邏各斯」（logos）與嚴復翻譯修辭觀之關聯，以及嚴復如何藉由啟蒙時期之「實驗方法」（experimental method），而達其會通中西之意旨。在嚴復「方便善巧」之翻譯運作與文字佈置下，其「翻譯」、「論述」與「詮釋」，亦融為一體。

Studies on Yen Fuh's view of translation often focus on his xin, da, ya. This paper, however, intends to diverge from this line of discussion. The author sees Yen's translation, statement, and interpretation (hermeneutic) as interrelatedspeech acts and examines, from the perspective of rhetoric, Yen's statements on and practices in translation-rhetoric that are dispersed in various texts. This study first investigates the discourse context within which Yen puts forth histranslation-rhetoric statements and argues that, apart from the influence on traditional Chinese Confucian and Taoist views, these statements also reflect Western Enlightenment thinking on reason and sentiment. Secondly, the relationshipbetween name and essence, or word and reality, is one of the major concerns for Enlightenment thinkers, and dialectic of this sort is often seen in Yen's translation-rhetoric statements and practices. This paper then explores therelationship between logos and Yen's translation-rhetoric views, and how he, using the experimental method of the Age of Enlightenment, endeavors to bring about the convergence of the West and the Chinese. Through his “expedient”translation operations and “calculated” arrangement of words, Yen's translation,statement, and interpretation also converge into a larger discourse whole.