翻譯楊熾昌──陶忘機的翻譯觀與翻譯實踐

Translating Yang Ch’ih-ch’ang: John Balcom’s Translation Concept and Practice

1996年，由杜國清於美國加州大學聖塔芭芭拉分校創刊的《台灣文學英譯叢刊》（Taiwan Literature: English Translation Series），無疑是將台灣文學帶向英語世界的最重要推手。參與《叢刊》的翻譯家與學者，亦是目前台灣文學尋求文化身分確證性最為仰賴的聲音之一。而漢學家、翻譯家陶忘機（John Balcom），長年浸淫於台灣現代詩的研究與翻譯，其現代詩譯作的時間跨度橫跨台灣日治時期至現當代，譯筆的精準、凝練也為學界、譯界所稱譽。然而，目前國內學界以當代翻譯研究，介入台灣文學譯者之翻譯觀念與譯作分析的論述成果卻甚少。本文試圖從翻譯研究出發，「陶忘機翻譯觀：趨向『歸化』翻譯的搭橋者」一節，探究第一個問題意識：「文化重塑：作者／譯者疊合式的主體結構」。本節從陶忘機的翻譯自述，同「翻譯研究」的各類論述做出對照與對話；其後，「語言歸化，語境異化—陶忘機英譯楊熾昌超現實主義詩作的翻譯實踐」一節，以陶忘機「翻譯楊熾昌」作為台灣文學外譯重要的翻譯「個案」，從實際的翻譯例證探討第二個問題意識：「譯者在英譯文本中是隱身還是現身」，以及「歸化」與「異化」兩個翻譯原則的取捨和融合問題。

In 1996, Taiwan Literature: English Translation Series, founded by Tu Kuoch’ing at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was undoubtedly the most important promoter of bringing Taiwanese literature to the Englishspeaking world. The translators and scholars who participated in the Series are also among the voices that Taiwanese literature relies on to re-assert cultural identity in World Literature. In particular, sinologist and translator John Balcom has been immersed in the research and translation of modern Taiwanese poetry for many years. His translated works span the period from Japanese colonial rule up until the present day, and are also praised by academic circles for their precision and conciseness. However, there are currently very few studies in domestic academic circles that interpret the translation concepts, analysis, and practices of Taiwanese literature translators within the framework of contemporary translation studies. This paper examines the first issue“Cultural Reshaping: The Superimposed Subject Structure of the Author/Translator”in the section of“John Balcom’s View on Translation: A Bridge Maker Towards‘Domesticating’Translation”through the perspective of translation studies. In this section, this paper compares John Balcom’s translation insights to various discussions in Translation Studies. The other section of“Domesticating Language, Foreignizing Context: John Balcom’s English Translation Practice in Translating Yang Ch’ih-ch’ang’s Surrealist Poems”, treats John Balcom’s translation of Yang Ch’ih-ch’ang as an important case study to address the second issue: is the translator invisible or visible in the English translation text? Based on the preliminary conclusion of the above issues, this paper also foregrounds the choice and integration of the two translation principles of“domestication”and“foreignization”in John Balcom’s translation.