英文摘要 |
In this paper, I use the following two concepts: (1) i-i ”異譯” different translation”, meaning a different translation of the same text by a different translator; (2) fan-pan 翻版 ”modified version”, meaning a version which a later ”translator” or an editor produced, by basically copying a pre-existing translation with a limited replacement of words.
There are seven Chinese translations of the Astasāhasrikā Prajñāipāramitā. Amongst them, the Tao-hsing pan-jo ching 道行般若經 (translated in 179 C.E.) by Lokaksema is the oldest, followed by Chih Ch'ien (fl.ca. 220~257 C.E.), Chu Fo-nien (translated in 382 C.E.), Kumārajiva (translated in 408 C.E.) and so on. In reality, the translation s by Chih Ch'ien and Chu Fo-nien are basically ”modified versions” of the Tao-hsing pan-jo ching. From the viewpoint of the historical study of Chinese, these ”modified versions” are valuable as they provide us with important information for understanding the various changes which have occurred within that language. If we focus on how these translators modified Lokaksema's translation, then we are able to trace the changes and developments of the Chinese language from the Eastern Han to the Chin Dynasties.
As the Tao-hsing pan-jo ching was modified by later translators, there must be translations which are merely ”modified versions” of previous translation s. If both an original translation and its modified version still exist, then they will be excellent material by which to study the evolution of Middle Chinese.
The Chiu-se-lu ching 九色鹿經 is one such example. This text may have been first translated no earlier than the middle of the third century. The Chinese Buddhist Canons contain three different versions of this and the famous Buddhist Anthology, Ching-lu-i-hsiang 經律異相, compiled by Pao-ch'ang in 516 C.E., contains another modified one as well. As the language and the contents of these four differ from one another, the interrelationship among them and the changes of their vocabularies will be discussed in this article. |