摘 要

  中国的命名文化由来已久，中国人历来重视取名，在姓名中往往寄寓了人们美好的愿望或特定的意义。长篇巨著《红楼梦》中人物之多，取名之巧妙，体现中国命名文化之丰富受到众多学者的关注。现行的最主要的两个英译版本中，霍克斯译本采取重要人物音译、次要人物意译、宗教人物外来语译相结合的方法，但是无一例外的省去了一些人物的字号、辈分等包含中国命名文化的内容，造成了文化上的一些缺失。而杨译本是较为完整的将人物的姓、名、字、号、辈分等内容翻译了出来。本文以杨宪益戴乃迭的《红楼梦》英译本为例，试探究译者在处理人物姓名的翻译时如何将中国的命名文化传达出来。国内外对此命题有一定的研究和文献总结，普遍认为，霍译本省略人物字、号的翻译减少了西方读者的阅读障碍，同时，霍译本省略人物辈分的翻译体现了西方的平等思想。但是这样一来，无可避免地缺失了中国独特的命名文化以及原作者曹雪芹取名的特殊用意。相比之下，杨译本较为完整地传达出了中国命名文化，分析并总结杨译本在翻译中所采取的翻译策略具有重要的理论价值，重视杨译本对于传达中国文化所做出的努力和贡献具有重要的意义。

关键词：命名文化；红楼梦；翻译策略；文化传达
 
Abstract

Chinese naming culture came into being early since the ancient time. Chinese people share the tradition of paying high attention to names and titles. In a name or a title, there is rich
significance to be conveyed. The famous novel “A Dream of Red Mansions” written by Cao XueQin(1724) has attracted numbers of scholars because of its long list of characters, and those names contain the essence of naming culture in China. There are two prevailing English versions, one of which was translated by Chinese native translators Yang Xianyi and his wife Gladys Yang. Another was translated by western learner David Hawkes. In David’s version, names of the key roles are translated by pinyin, while the less important ones being free translated and religious names being translated through borrowed words. However, David’s version failed in reflecting those special titles which bear the whole Chinese cultural connotation. But Yang’s version made great efforts to translate those special names and cultures in a way  that Chinese traditional naming culture are conveyed. Generally speaking, David’s version reduces the potential reading barriers that may confront the westerners. He also did a good job in emphasizing the philosophy of equality in the west. However, he could not have thoroughly convey the Chinese culture in his version. This paper aims to describe the translating strategies of Yang’s version and his great contribution to the Chinese naming culture.

Keywords: Chinese naming culture;  A Dream of Red Mansions;  strategies;
Culture