港大中文學院

2018/2019 School of Chinese Research Student Seminar

Serving More Than Two Masters: Contextualization of Christianity in Contemporary China and the Multiple Identities of Translators
誰是翻譯的主——當代中國基督教處境化下論翻譯者的身份

Miss Zhang Chen

June 14, 2019 (Friday); 5:30-6:45pm
Room 730, Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus
Language: English

The publication volume of translation works of Christian literature from English to Chinese has soared recently with the contextualization of Christianity in contemporary China. This phenomenon gives a fascinating opportunity for the study of multiple identities of the translator and translation behaviours in translating Christian literature. The translation approach the translators opt for, serving the standard of Christianity – to preserve the message, or serving the standard of translation studies – to find the dynamic equivalence, is influenced by the activation and verification of their identities. In Translation Studies, the identity of translators is often discussed as a group identity focusing on their translation behaviours. This research takes a micro approach and puts translators’ multiple identities into an individual identity framework. Four Chinese translation versions of C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, published in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan respectively, as well as the identities of translators are examined. The research data includes both translation texts and translators’ own articulation of their identities in translators’ notes and in email correspondences. The case study manifests a dynamic coexistence of and interplay between role identity of being translators, social identity of being a part of the target culture and for some, Christians, and person identity of being doers of contextual theology of individual translators. In theory, person identity is the most likely to be verified. However, the research found out that translators tend to verify their role identity of doing translation and social identity of being a part of target culture more in their translation behaviour of the actual translation texts, even if their person identity of being doers of contextual theology was activated elsewhere (in translators’ notes or in their personal accounts). It is suggested that by introducing the contextualization model, translators could realize the existence of person identity and its relationship with other identities. The research findings deepen our understanding of culture contexts in the translation of Christian literature and translators’ identities for those who translate Christian literature, helping translators be more aware of their own identities and providing a tool for translators to guide and justify their translation behaviours.

近年在基督教處境化的背景下，基督教書籍的出版日益增加。這個現象為研究譯者的多重身份和翻譯基督教文學的翻譯行為提供了黃金機會。譯者在啟動和驗證不同身份下，面對兩個選擇：以保留信仰資訊為標準，或是以翻譯界動態對等為標準。在翻譯學中，譯者身份經常作為一個整體，就翻譯行為進行討論。本研究則以微觀角度，探討譯者個人身份。研究以兩岸三地魯益師《小心魔鬼很聰明/魔鬼書信/地獄來鴻》為藍本，輔以譯者序、譯後記及通信，探討每位譯者的身份。譯者作為翻譯的身份、文化身份、信仰身份及構建處境化神學的個人身份彼此共存並互動。在身份認同理論中，通常先展現構建處境化神學的個人身份，但在本研究中，譯者傾向展現自己的譯者身份和文化身份。本研究借用處境化的概念，幫助譯者意識到構建處境化神學的個人身份，以及此身份與其他身份的關係。在基督教文學翻譯的討論中引入處境化神學理論，希望幫助譯者瞭解自己的身份，指導翻譯過程以及表達翻譯策略。

ALL ARE WELCOME!