Challenges in Translating Chinese Classics into English: Example of Biography of Huan Tan and Feng Yan from Book of the Later Han

Abstract

范晔《后汉书》作为“前四史”之一， 富有很高的史学价值，同时也具有一定的文 学价值，很多东汉的文章都赖以保全。随着 西方汉学界对中文古籍的日趋重视，翻译的 学术价值与实用价值愈加重要。笔者首次英 译《后汉书·桓谭冯衍列传》，在翻译过程 中，认为古文译英有三个问题值得注意。古 文英译并非一蹴而就，往往需要借助白话翻 译（语内翻译），再完成英译（语际翻译）。然 而，白话翻译是一把双刃剑，借鉴时要特別 注意其中的误读与错误。其次，《后汉书》 中收录了很多作家的文章，常常引经据典， 若不对其背后深意加以剖析与注解，英译的 文字不利于受众阅读理解。再次，历史学是 高度跨学科的综合研究，对译者的知识素养 要求极高，在这一文本细读与精研的过程中 会促进更新的学术研究。本文以《后汉书· 桓谭冯衍列传》的英译为个案，对以上三个 问题加以分析探讨，以彰显古籍英译是一项 充满挑战又富有意义的工作。 As one of the Early Four Historiographies, Fan Ye’s Book of the Later Han preserves significant works of both historical and literary value. This is something increasingly significant in response to the dynamic growth in popularity of classical Chinese texts among Western sinologists. Through reading the English translation of the “Biography of Huan Tan and Feng Yan” from the Book of the Later Han, the following three issues are arguably noteworthy for the translator’s consideration. Firstly, the English translation may involve an interim step of intralingual translation from classical Chinese to modern Chinese, before a subsequent interlingual translation from modern Chinese to English. While this facilitates the process of translation, the vernacular translation also involves further risks in misinterpretation. Secondly, translation of such historiographical work which consists of literary works by various writers with numerous historical references, not only requires the translator to conduct additional analysis and write explanatory notes, it also makes the English output inaccessible to most readers. Thirdly, the highly interdisciplinary knowledge in relevant historiography not only demands a high quality of competency in translators, but also arguably acts as a catalyst for further academic research in the process of close reading and research. This paper intends to analyse the above three issues through a case study on the “Biography of Huan Tan and Feng Yan”, thereby demonstrating how the translation of Chinese classics is an arduous yet meaningful challenge.