聊齋喻言：衛三畏如何以編譯重寫中國文學史？

十九世紀美國漢學家衛三畏是《聊齋誌異》最早的英譯者之一。1842年他首先將數篇譯文編選入中文教本《拾級大成》。1848年於《中國總論》中正式將《聊齋》列入中國文學史。透過編譯，衛三畏建構出一種「中國文學」，並賦予《聊齋》「伊索寓言」和「喻道故事」的文學形象。可見編譯將某文本從一文化傳播至另一文化，作為看似單純，實則不然。編譯實乃重寫，重寫者在譯入語文化詩學與意識形態規限下操縱原文，建構出贊助者所欲、而預期讀者能解的文化他者形象。本文首先說明在十九世紀初期「中國開放」呼聲日殷的背景下，為因應西人中文學習的需求與困境，加上《意拾喻言》成功經驗，作為初學津梁之《拾級大成》應運而生。接著說明，詩學的衛三畏「用喻言法而以志怪」，將《聊齋》改寫成西人可解的證道故事；意識形態的衛三畏認為中國乃僅次於西方最高的異教文明，唯各方面皆須經基督教改造方可迎接千禧福臨，因此他重寫《聊齋》，向西方讀者證明中國文學改造之必要與可能性。此舉亦令「小說」以載道之姿進入中國文學殿堂，無疑重寫了中國文學史。

關鍵字

衛三畏；聊齋誌異；證道故事；後千禧論；重寫；文化建構

並列摘要

Samuel Wells Williams, a nineteenth century American sinologist, is one of the earliest English translators of ＂Liaozhai Ziyi＂. He chose at first to compile some translated pieces of ＂Liaozhai Ziyi＂ in ＂Easy Lessons in Chinese＂ (1842), then introduced ＂Liaozhai＂ in The Middle Kingdom (1848) as Chinese literature. With translating-editing, he constructed a kind of 'Chinese Literature', providing ＂Liaozhai Ziyi＂ with a literary image resembling Aesopian fables and Christian parables. In this case, translating-editing is rewriting; the rewriter manipulates the original under the constraints of poetics and ideology dominant in the target culture, producing an image of the cultural Other desired by the patrons and acceptable to the audience. This paper first explains how Easy Lessons in Chinese as a primer for Westerners was produced in the early nineteenth century context of 'opening China'. Then it shows that poetologically Williams rewrites ＂Liaozhai Ziyi＂ into beast fables and parables, while ideologically he considers China the most civilized pagan nation, though inferior to the West, a nation that won't be saved at the apocalyptic end of the world unless reformed by Christianity in all respects. Therefore he rewrites ＂Liaozhai Ziyi＂ and Chinese literature, trying to persuade Western readers that China must change and can be changed. This not only canonizes Chinese novels because of their moral characteristics, but also rewrites the history of Chinese literature.