在冷戰的年代：英華煥發的譯者余光中

Yu Kwang-chung's Translingual Practice during the Cold War Era

余光中是當代華文作家中的佼佼者，在詩歌、散文、評論、翻譯都成果斐然，自稱為「寫作生命的四度空間」，然而論者大多重視其詩歌與散文創作，對其「譯績」與脈絡的研究甚少。其實，余光中敏於世變，時代的變遷固然反映於文學創作，但與翻譯也相關，後者尤見於冷戰時代，特別是他在一九五○至一九七○年代與美國新聞處相關的英譯中與中譯英的四個文本──New Chinese Poetry（《中國新詩集錦》，1960），《美國詩選》（Anthology of American Poetry,1961），Acres of Barbed Wire（《滿田的鐵絲網》，1971）與《錄事巴托比》（Bartleby the Scrivener, 1972）。本文集中探討這四部譯作，以呈現余光中在冷戰年代出入於英／華之間的譯績及意義。

Due to the focus on his distinguished achievements in writing poetry and prose, only a handful of critics have paid attention to Yu Kwang-chung's translingual practice and the historical conditions of his translations from English into Chinese, and vice versa. However, Yu's translations, along with his creative writings, reveal much regarding a man of letters' sensitivity to his cultural, historical, and geopolitical situation, as well as his devotion to what he dubs “the Tenth Muse.” His poetry, prose, literary criticism, and, last but not least, translation constitute what he describes as “the four dimensions of my writing life,” and establish his rightful place among the most eminent contemporary Sinophone writers. This paper concentrates on his four English/Chinese and Chinese/English translations published during the height of the Cold War era under the auspices of the United States Information Service in Hong Kong and Taiwan, namely New Chinese Poetry (1960), Anthology of American Poetry (1961), Acres of Barbed Wire (1971), and Bartleby the Scrivener (1972). By discussing the historical conditions, cultural productions, characteristics, and contributions of these four translations, this paper attempts to cast new light on Yu's role as a translator by making use of his bilingual competence, literary talent, historical environment, and cross-cultural resources.