《道德经》两个英文译本的比较研究_英语论文

A Comparative Study of Two English Versions of Tao Te Ching

摘要

《道德经》是中国哲学著作的源泉，也是我国先民智慧的结晶。该书文简义丰，包含广博，不仅涉及了哲学伦理，也涵盖了有关政治学军事学的内容，被后代尊奉为治国、齐家、修身、为学的宝典，更是有“万经之王”的美誉。它不但对中国传统文化产生了深远的影响，在西方世界也广为人知，备受关注。从隋朝开始，就不断地有译者对《道德经》进行翻译，至今译文版本已达到上千种，仅次于《圣经》。近年来，许多国内、国外的政治家哲学家都从《道德经》中受到了启发，并给予《道德经》高度的评价，使《道德经》成为一个讨论的热点。因此，作者对《道德经》翻译的研究产生了很大的兴趣。

本文中作者选取了《道德经》的两个著名英译版本作为比较和研究的对象，分别是英国传教士、著名汉学家雅各的译本，以及香港学者、翻译家刘殿爵的译本。两个版本都是公认的非常优秀的译本，也都得到了广泛的传播。作者结合两位译者的自身经历和文化环境，通过分析两个译本的相同与不同之处，研究他们对原著的理解和语言的表达，对二者各自的优点以及如何更好的翻译中国传统典籍做出了总结。以期推动传统典籍翻译的发展，促进传统文化的对外传播。

关键词：《道德经》；英译；对比研究；语言风格 

Abstract

Tao Te Ching is not only the source of Chinese philosophy, but also the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese ancestors. The book is written in simple words but its meaning is abundant, involving philosophy, ethics, political science, military science and many other disciplines. It is widely recognized and well respected by later generations. Tao Te Ching has a profound impact on Chinese culture. It also draws a wide range of attention of the western world. From Sui dynasty, some translators have been translating Tao Te Ching to other languages. According to a recent research, the translated versions have reached thousands so far, second only to the “Bible”. In recent years, many domestic and foreign politicians and philosophers have been inspired from Tao Te Ching and given it high value, so that Tao Te Ching has become a hot topic of studies. Hence, it arouses the author’s interests in the translation of Tao Te Ching. 

In this paper, the author chooses two famous English versions of Tao Te Ching as the object of comparison, namely, by James Legge, a British missionary, and D.C. Lau, a sinologist from Hong Kong. Both versions are recognized as very good translated versions and are widely spread. The author analyses the similarities and differences between the two versions, studies their understanding of the original version and their language style, and summarizes their advantages in order to promote the development of the translation of Chinese classic works and the spread of Chinese traditional culture. 

Keywords: Tao Te Ching; English translation; comparative study; language style 

Contents

Acknowledgements i

Abstract ii

摘要 iii

Table of Contents iv

Chapter One Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the Study 1

1.2   .Significance of the Research 2

Chapter Two Literature Review 3

2.1 Literature Review 3

2.2 The Introduction of Tao Te Ching 4

2.3 The Introduction of Two English Versions of Tao Te Ching 5

  2.3.1   The Version by James Legge 5

  2.3.2   The Version by D.C. Lau 6

Chapter Three the Comparative Analysis of Two English Versions 7

3.1   Studies on the English Expressions 7

  3.1.1   The Translation of the Subjects in non-subject sentences 7

  3.1.2   The Use of Short Sentences and Conjunctions 8

3.2   Studies on the Understanding of the original text 10

3.3   Studies on the Translation of Some Special Words 12

Chapter Four Conclusion 15