翻译的“第三形态”特质

本文通過審視翻譯對等概念的內涵以及文化身份解構與建構的內容和運作方式，來對翻譯的基本性質進行闡釋。文章認為，相對性是翻譯的重要規則：翻譯的形成條件之一，是目標文本必須與源文本＂對等＂，但＂對等＂程度和表現形式卻不可用絕對尺度來衡量；翻譯所涉源文本與目標文本文化身份的解構和建構，也同樣是相對的。由于相對性規則的作用，翻譯作品以及該作品代表的文化身份，其地位都是相對獨立的：譯品及相關身份既像源語又像目標語，但它們既不屬于源語也不屬于目標語，而是一種介乎兩者之間的形態，即＂第三形態＂。文章以周氏兩兄弟對《域外小說集》的迻譯作為個案研究，從多個層面對翻譯作為＂第三形態＂的這些基本特質進行分析和印證。

This paper explores the nature of translation as the "Third Form".By looking at how translation equivalence is to be interpreted and what cultural identities are constructed and deconstructed in the translation process,it argues a view of translational relativity.On the one hand,"equivalence" is a crucial element that qualifies a certain TT as translation;and on the other,there can never be complete equivalence between the TT and the ST:all translations are but approximations of their original.In a like manner,neither the "deconstruction" of the ST nor the "construction" of the TT is to be taken in the absolute.In other words,the resultant entity from this process of approximation is neither identical with some SL form,nor is it a "pure" TL form;but it is a form between the SL and TL,namely the Third Form.To support the argument,a brief case study is made of Lu Xun and his bother’s translation of Short Stories from Abroad,and examples are drawn therein to illustrate the various properties of this Third Form.