可译性问题的新视点:语言共性论

可译性问题是翻译实践和翻译理论研究的基本问题。从语言共性论的角度出发,探讨了可译性这一问题。首先介绍了生成语法学派的强势语言共性论的主要观点,涉及了先验与经验、语言与思维等问题,认为翻译理论的研究必须采取先验性的进路,而非经验主义的进路,而且,人类语言和思维上的共性成为语际间实现可译的必要基础。然后,以强势语言共性论的观点,尤其运用其最新的发展阶段——最简方案(Minimalist Program,MP)的思想,对可译性问题进行理论上的分析和思考,论证翻译是可行的,不可译是相对的。

A new view on translatability from linguistic universalism

Translatability is the starting point of the study into translation practice and translation theory. This paper explores the question of translatability from a point of view of linguistic universalism. It, firstly, introduces the main ideas of generative grammar's strong linguistic universalism,and then deals with the relevant questions,such as the relation between transcendentalism and empiricism, and the relation between language and thought. The conclusion drawn here is that the study of translation theory should take the transcendental approach, not the empirical approach; and the universality of human languages, and the u-niversality of human thought provide the necessary base for translation between languages. By applying the ideas of linguistic u-niversalism, especially the ideas of newly developed Minimalist Program (MP), the paper attempts to offer analysis of and reflections on the question of translatability. This paper turns out that translatability is possible, and untraslatability is relative, not absolute.