文學翻譯作為評論：也斯六、七十年代的西方文學譯介

Literary Translation as Criticism: Yesi’s Introduction and Translation of Western Literature in the 1960s and 1970s

也斯自言他青年時期積極翻譯和介紹西方文藝是嘗試突破當時香港文壇的成規，並作為「練筆」，摸索適合本地的文學形式。本文全面整理也斯由六十年代末至七十年代末散見於各大報刊的文章和專欄，從大量短小的譯介文章中整理出他關注的西方文學潮流，嘗試探討他的譯介如何把該等西方文學「脈絡化」以介入當時香港的文學論爭，包括現代詩檢討風潮以及寫實主義的興起。由此本文提出也斯的譯介往往有明確的對話對象和針對性，是「以翻譯作為評論」打開新局面。也斯早年的翻譯經歷迄今仍然亟待整理，這將有助理解也斯的文學觀念和早年的文學主張，而以這位活躍於香港文壇的多面寫手為中心，通過爬梳他的倡議、批評、建言和文學實驗，更是切入六、七十年代香港文化與文學場域的有利觀察角度。 Yesi introduced and translated Western literature in his early career. He said he was trying to change the status quo of the Hong Kong literary scene and search for a literary form suitable for representing Hong Kong. This paper goes through the columns and other articles he published in local newspapers and magazines during the 1960s and 70s. His writings show the kinds of western literature he was interested in, namely postwar American poetry, the nouveau roman, and Latin American magical realism; we also see how he translated and contextualized the types of literature in which he was interested to intervene in the debates over modern poetry and realism in the early 1970s. Yesi often commented on contemporary literary issues by introducing western literature, thus I propose in this paper that Yesi was actually using translation as criticism. His translation reveals much regarding his literary concepts in his early days. By studying a figure like Yesi, we are able to better understand the literary field of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s.

Yesi introduced and translated Western literature in his early career. He said he was trying to change the status quo of the Hong Kong literary scene and search for a literary form suitable for representing Hong Kong. This paper goes through the columns and other articles he published in local newspapers and magazines during the 1960s and 70s. His writings show the kinds of western literature he was interested in, namely postwar American poetry, the nouveau roman, and Latin American magical realism; we also see how he translated and contextualized the types of literature in which he was interested to intervene in the debates over modern poetry and realism in the early 1970s. Yesi often commented on contemporary literary issues by introducing western literature, thus I propose in this paper that Yesi was actually using translation as criticism. His translation reveals much regarding his literary concepts in his early days. By studying a figure like Yesi, we are able to better understand the literary field of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s.