《中国传统文化关键字》保民 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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保民

Protect the People

安定百姓的生活。“保民” 一说最早见于《尚书•康诰》。古人认为,天命决定着人世中至高无上的王权的归属。天命的授予与剥夺遵循着固定的原则, 君主有德则授命,失德则剥夺天命。

This term means safeguarding the people’s life. It first appeared inThe Book of History. In the view of ancient Chinese, the Mandate of Heaven determined to whom supreme power in the human world belonged. The Mandate was bestowed and removed according to predetermined principles. Virtuous rulers received the Mandate; those without virtue lost it.

🎈在翻译「最早见于《尚书•康诰》」时,译文略去了「康诰」的翻译。因为「康诰」是《尚书》的一个章节,所承载的信息量并不大,因此只需要译出「出自于《尚书》」(appeared in The Book of History)即可。

🎈在翻译「古人认为」时,译文增加了(中国)古代人这一原文中所暗含的信息,表示这种观点出自于中国古人,故翻译为In the view of ancient Chinese

🎈在翻译「君主有德则授命,失德则剥夺天命」一句时,译文没有拘泥于原文中古文的表达「有德」和「失德」,而是重新组织主谓宾语法结构,将古文翻译为白话,再译为英文,翻译为「有道德的统治者接受天命,而没有道德的统治者则失去天命」(Virtuous rulers received the Mandate; those without virtue lost it)

君主保有天命的最重要的德行即是“保民”。“保民”意在使治下的百姓获得安定的生活,体现着君主对百姓的关爰与照顾。“保民”构成了古代政治治理的核心目标。

The most important virtue for retaining the Mandate of Heaven was protecting the people, which was to ensure a safe and peaceful life for them, and this manifested the ruler’s love and care for his people. “Protecting the people” was a central goal of governance in ancient China.

🎈在翻译「保民」的具体含义时,采用了非限制性定语从句,将原文中的三句话合为一句,先指出「保民」是君主最重要的德行(the most important virtue),再以从句解释其作用,即让百姓获得安定的生活并体现君主对百姓的关爱(ensure a safe and peaceful life,manifested the ruler’s love and care),使得译文简洁流畅。

🎈在翻译「古代政治治理的核心目标」,增译出China,同样也是表示这是中国古代的治理目标。

🎈重点表达

保民 Protect the People

《尚书》The Book of History

天命 the Mandate of Heaven

至高无上的权力 supreme power

授予与剥夺 bestowe and remove

未经允许不得转载:帕布莉卡 » 《中国传统文化关键字》保民 -英语翻译教程-中英双语赏析

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