從英語作為通用語觀點探究武俠小說翻譯的文化重構：以《射鵰英雄傳》英譯本為例

Abstract

全球化促使英語盛行，成為大多數跨文化交流活動中約定俗成的共通語言。英語的霸權地位間接導致世界各地出現文化交流不平等的現象，在全球書籍翻譯市場即可見一斑。職是之故，研究英語翻譯勢必要將英語盛行全球的的強勢地位納入視野。如今「英語作為通用語」（English as a lingua franca, ELF）相關研究蔚然成家，描述在跨文化交流活動中語言文化背景各異的人以英語作為必要溝通媒介的現象。在ELF溝通脈絡中，ELF使用者會從自身多元的語言文化庫（lingua-cultural repertoire）中汲取語意資源，進而達成溝通目的。本研究以武俠小說家金庸的《射鵰英雄傳》英譯本為案例研究，進一步提出將武俠小說譯者視為擁有多元語言文化庫可資利用的ELF使用者。結果顯示，將武俠小說此種文化包袱較重的文類作品譯介到英語世界時，譯者扮演的中介角色就如同ELF使用者，會利用自身擁有的語言及文化資源來協調文本敘述的意義，致力建構一個原文作者能表意且譯文讀者能解意的話語社群¬，而譯者為了實現溝通效果對語言文化資源創新使用的能力，正是文學譯者賴以勝任文學翻譯工作的創造力基礎。另一方面，本研究亦發現譯者為求譯文流暢易讀，傾向刪略文化指涉與人物塑造，呼應前人研究所見ELF作為全球現象加諸英譯文的同質化作用。雖然譯文有諸如此類與原文敘述不盡相同的歧異，本研究依然肯定譯者創造性運用ELF在英譯文中重新建構武俠文化的意義與價值。歸根究柢，流暢的譯文閱讀體驗能吸引到更多來自世界各地的讀者，進而提升翻譯作品作為世界文學的國際能見度。

English spreads with globalization and dominates most intercultural communication as the default common language. The hegemonic status of English sustains worldwide unequal patterns of cultural exchange, notably in the market of book translations. The study of English translations therefore cannot be separated from English’s spread and superiority around the world. English as a lingua franca (ELF) refers to the use of English as a communicative means indispensable to people of different lingua-cultural backgrounds. ELF users draw on semantic resources from their lingua-cultural repertoire to fulfil communicative purposes. In this study, I proceed to propose that we understand the translator as resourceful ELF user, with Jin Yong’s wuxia novel Legends of the Condor Heroes chosen as a case study. The analysis of results demonstrates that the translator functions as ELF user in the translation of highly culture-bound literary genre such as wuxia novels. The novel’s translators tap into their linguistic and cultural resources to negotiate the text’s meanings and engage the author and the target readers as a discourse community. This innovative use of lingua-cultural resources actually underlies their competence and creativity as literary translators. Just as important, the novel’s translators were found to opt for a fluent reading pace insofar as it dilutes cultural references and simplifies the characterization, corroborating previous research findings that ELF as a global phenomenon exerts a homogenizing influence on English translations. Despite these deviations from the source narratives, the translator’s creative use of ELF nevertheless helps reconstitute the wuxia culture in English translations. The smooth reading experience appeals to more readers and may well increase the novel’s international visibility as part of world literature.