“人文主义”还是“人道主义”?——从白璧德新人文主义思想的译介论学术著作中的术语翻译

哲学社会科学术语涉及精神领域概念,是“形式”的形式,译名尤其要注意控制词义的不良延伸。术语翻译的首要原则是“名副其实”。白璧德的新人文主义思想是通过对诸如人文主义/人道主义、低级自我/高级自我、生命冲动/生命控制、人性法则/自然法则等二元对立体的解说,而逐渐阐述成形、区别于其他思想流派的。然而,正是在这些最显豁、最具主题意义的关键术语的翻译上,白璧德著作的中译本出现了实质性的错误。

“Humanism” or “Humanitarianism”?—Term Translation as Illustrated in Chinese Translation of Irving Babbitt’s Neo-humanism

Terms in philosophy and social sciences deal with intellectual realm, and are therefore forms of “form”. Term translation should beware of bad philological extension. The primary principle for term translation is that the term should convey faithfully the connotation it entails. Irving Babbitt’s Neo-humanism is developed in relation to such dualisms like humanism vs humanitarianism, inferior self vs superior self, life impulse vs life control, and law of human law vs natural law. However, it is when translating these key terms that the Chinese version blundered.