Historical Hermeneutics and Foreignization: Michael LaFargue’s Reconstruction of Tao and Te in the Translated Text of the ＂Tao Te Ching＂

《道德經》是歷史上翻譯數量最多的中文文本之一。古今中外，《道德經》的譯評眾多，並以各種方式及目的解釋其內容。本文透過觀察詮釋學家邁可．拉法格（Michael LaFargue，1992年）之英譯本，檢視在試圖重構中文原文意義上所採取之歷史詮釋學手法，聚焦於經典中核心概念「道」與「德」之重構方面。本文首先回顧《道德經》於翻譯史上之不同時期進行劃分，特別是近來之「異化」特性，與其對於「詮釋學」之關係。此經典之特殊地位原於其古老之歷史，呈現其意義重構之必要性，由此檢視拉法格之歷史詮釋學重構手法，並分析其對於「道」與「德」之處理方式。接著，進而提出翻譯學之相關課題，著重於提倡原文導向之《道德經》翻譯方式，透過翻譯等語言活動，以求異文化之間更進一步的理解。本文期盼透過檢視拉法格之《道德經》重構範例，能更深入了解《道德經》之文本特性，以提供少許古文經典翻譯至現代英語上之中英翻譯知見。

關鍵字

歷史詮釋學；異化；重構；《道德經》；邁可．拉法格；翻譯學

並列摘要

The ”Tao Te Ching” is one of the most translated Chinese texts in history. Throughout time, countless commentators and translators across the globe have approached the exegesis of this ancient canon via different means and towards different ends. In this paper, hermeneuticist Michael LaFargue's (1992) English translation of this ancient text is observed to examine the historical hermeneutic methodology attempted in the reconstruction of meaning in the Chinese source text, with primary focus on its central themes, namely Tao and Te. This paper first reviews the periodization of ”Tao Te Ching” translations, in particular the recent characteristic of foreignization and its relation to hermeneutics. The special status of the ancient text is due to its antiquity, which subsequently brings forth the necessity of reconstruction of meaning, where LaFargue's historical hermeneutic reconstruction is examined, and his resultant treatment of the translation of Tao and Te analyzed. This further brings forward the related issues in translation studies, especially the advocacy of a source-oriented approach in translating the ”Tao Te Ching”, arriving at a closer understanding between cultures, through linguistic actions such as translation. It is hoped that this study on LaFargue's exemplary reconstruction of the ”Tao Te Ching” can deepen our understanding of the special nature of the text itself, thereby offering some insight into the translation of ancient canonical texts from Classical Chinese to Modern English.

並列關鍵字

Historical hermeneutics ； foreignization ； reconstruction ； "Tao Te Ching" ； Michael LaFargue ； translation studies

參考文獻

Fung, Y. (1948). A short history of Chinese philosophy. New York: Free Press.

Google Scholar

Ho, S. (1936). Ku pen tao te ching hsiao k'an (Commentary to the ancient version of the Tao Te Ching). Peiping: Kuo li Pei-p'ing yen chiu yüan (National Academy of Peiping).