1、中国传统家具著作的英译问题 许美琪 上海家具研究所 摘 要： 中国传统家具是中国传统文化的物化, 具有独特的民族性, 在文化性方面也更具有中华文明的个性。在世界家具史上, 中国传统家具代表了东方文明, 浸淫着儒家和道家精神, 这与西方古典家具具有浓厚的基督教精神大异其趣。向世界推介中国传统家具, 对促进东西方文明的交融和了解, 让世界认识中国, 具有十分重要的意义。中国传统家具博大精深, 加之东西方语言、文化上的差异, 要把中国传统家具的著作“信、雅、达”地译成英文, 决非易事。本文从中国传统家具的文化渊源、形制、结构工艺、用材、装饰、配件等诸方面讨论了对中国传统家具著作的英译问题。关键词：
2、中国的; 传统家具; 著作; 英译; 作者简介：许美琪 (1945-) , 男, 教授, 研究方向:家具设计与制造、木材加工理论与技术, E-mail:xn0504sina.conEnglish Translation about the Works of Chinese Traditional FurnitureXu Meiqi Abstract： Chinese traditional furniture with unique nationality is materialization of Chinese traditional culture and have a stronger
3、 character in their culture.In the history of the world furniture, Chinese traditional furniture contaminated with Confucianism and Daoism represented the Eastern civilization, which is very different from the Western tradition in furniture to be that of “Christendom”.To introduce Chinese traditiona
4、l furniture into the world have a great significance in promoting Eastern civilization and Western civilization to be blended and understood each other and to let the world cognize China.Because Chinese traditional furniture is broad and profound and the existence of big difference between Chinese a
5、nd English and of their cultures, it is very difficult to translate the works of Chinese traditional furniture into English with faithfulness, expressiveness and taste.In this article, the cultural sources, the shape and structure, the construction technique, woods and secondary materials, the decor
6、ations for Chinese traditional furniture are discussed.Keyword： Chinese; Traditional furniture; Works; English translation; 清华大学出版社与美国 Homa天道有五行, 人道就有五常。五常 (仁义礼智信) 是个人品德, 三纲是社会伦理, 后者高于前者。(1) 三纲:君为臣纲, 父为子纲, 夫为妻纲。“天人合一”。(2) 五常:仁、义、礼、智、信它们的英文表达如下8:(1) Three cardinal guides:ruler guides subject, father
7、guides son, husband guides wife.Heaven and man are united as one.(2) Five constant virtues:benevolence (humanity) , righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity3 有关中国传统家具风格、造型的英译3.1 总体风格一个成熟的家具风格 (style) 必须具有三个要素, 即独特性、一贯性和稳定性。独特性就是具有容易辨认的明确的特点;一贯性, 就是从整个家具系列到个体家具的造型、立面、局部、细节装饰等都贯彻这个特点, 构思完整统一;稳定性,
8、 就是在一个相当长的时期内, 基本特点不变, 并且产生一批代表作品如明清式家具。明式家具和清式家具是可称之具有风格的家具, 自不待言。而在具有明显风格特点的区域家具中, 业内公认, 京作、苏作、广作、晋作、宁作、海派传统家具可称之“式”、“作”或“派”, 亦即风格的意思, 在英译时可在地名后加上 (-style) ;至于福建客家、皖南、河南、巴蜀、台湾的传统家具虽然具有地域特色, 但就前述的风格三要素方面, 还不能与如京作等具有明显风格特点的区域家具相提并论, 故在英译时, 仅在地名后加上“traditional furniture”, 如福建客家传统家具, 英译为:Fujian Hakka
9、Traditional Furniture9。3.1.1 明式家具明式家具一般指明及清朝前期的家具, 译成:the Ming-style furniture3.1.2 清式家具清式家具指清中期到民国早期的家具, 译成:the Qing-style furniture3.2 区域风格3.2.1 具有明显风格特点的区域家具(1) 京作传统家具 Beijing-style Traditional Furniture; (2) 广作传统家具 Guangzhou-style Traditional Furniture; (3) 苏作传统家具 Suzhoustyle Traditional Furnitu
10、re; (4) 晋作传统家具 Shanxi-style Traditional Furniture; (5) 宁作传统家具 Ningbo-style Traditional Furniture; (6) 海派传统家具 Shanghai-style Traditional Furniture;3.2.2 具有地方特色的传统家具(1) 福建客家传统家具 Fujian Hakka Traditional Furniture; (2) 皖南传统家具 the Traditional Furniture in Southern Anhui; (3) 河南传统家具Henan Traditional Furn
11、iture; (4) 巴蜀传统家具 Sichuan Traditional Furniture; (5) 台湾传统家具 Taiwan Traditional Furniture.3.3 中国传统家具的形制形制 (Shape and structure) , 指的是一个物体的形状和构造。自宋代起, 中国的家具工匠在直接吸收了两宋时期建筑的“大木梁架结构”做法中, 运用宋代发达的小木作制作工艺, 很快使宋代家具完成了向高形形体的过渡, 确立了框架结构的形体式样, 替代了隋唐以来沿用的箱形、台座壸门式结构10。王世襄先生认为, “唐宋之际, 由于生活方式的改变, 出现了新兴家具高桌。高桌形式不一,
12、有的吸取了大木梁架的造型和结构, 成为无束腰家具;有的吸取了壸门床壸门案和须弥座的造型与结构, 成为有束腰家具。流风所及, 束腰在他种家具上也纷纷出现, 到南宋时已和无束腰家具渐成对等之势。在明及清前期的家具中, 无束腰, 有束腰更是普遍存在, 形成了两大体系。不同家具的不同造型, 都忠实于不同的渊源, 彼此之间, 界限分明, 不掉换, 不掺混, 例外只是极少数。历时上下千百年, 处地相去几千里, 矩矱法式, 基本不变, 这就是传统家具的造型规律。”显然, 从结构上来看, 中国传统家具从箱形盒式的家具向框架式家具转变的过程中, 形成了无束腰和有束腰两大形制11。这一论断堪为经典, 因此, 对它
13、的英文表达可作为一个范例。兹录如下:“As a result of the change in the style of living during the Tang and Song dynasties, new kinds of furniture developed, including different types of high table.Some high tables adopted the pillar-andbeam construction from wooden architecture and became waistless furniture.Others, t
14、aking over the box construction from beds and tables, and the form of Buddhist pedestals, became waisted furniture.Gradually other types of furniture besides tables became waisted, and by Southern Song times there was about as much waisted as waistless furniture.In the Ming and early Qing dynasties
15、many types of furniture fell into either of these categories.The numerous different forms of furniture remain faithful to their respective origins and between them there is a distinct demarcation.With extremely few exceptions the two basic forms of furniture are never interchangeable and examples ma
16、de many years and great distance apart remain quite similar within their respective tradition.This is why I have called these traditions the principles governing the forms of Chinese furniture.”4 有关中国传统家具工艺、结构的英译4.1 中国传统家具工艺的英译4.1.1 框架结构工艺中国传统家具的结构在唐宋以前主要是箱式结构 (box construction) , 嗣后转变为框架结构 (frame construction) 。此外, 还有板式结构 (panel construction) 、折叠结构 (folding structure) 、组合拆装结构 (knock-down construction) 。如前所述, 中国传统家具自宋朝起, 确立了框架结构, 而自明朝 (A.D.1368-1644 年) 起, 就以框架式结构为主要特征了, 表现了自己的民族性和不同渊源的文化性。在这种框架结构中, 最富有特色的是中国的榫卯结构和部件接合方式。4.1.2 类型和品种
