从“五行”英译看西方对中国古代宇宙生成论的认知及中国传统哲学“走出去”  

English Translation of Wu-Hsing as Related to the Development of Western Knowledge of Ancient Chinese Cosmogony and the Going-Out of Chinese Philosophical Concepts

作　　者：胡翠娥[1] HU Cui'e

机构地区：[1]南开大学外国语学院,天津300071

出　　处：《英语研究》2024年第1期23-36,共14页English Studies

基　　金：国家社会科学基金一般项目“汉学家陈荣捷的宋明理学英译及著述与20世纪美国的中国哲学研究”(18BYY020)的阶段性成果。

摘　　要：“五行说”是中国古代哲学思想中最具广泛影响力的学说之一,也是中国古代宇宙生成论的重要学说。对“五行”概念的翻译体现出西方对中国古代宇宙论的认知。“五行”译名虽然多样,但从宇宙生成论意义上可分为“构成”观、“力量”观和“功能”观。“构成”观以“five elements”译名为代表,主张五行是宇宙基本物质的构成;“力量”观主张从动态力量或过程而不是静态要素意义上去认识五行在宇宙生成论上的作用;“功能”观以“five phases”为代表,认为五行是元气的不同相状,是一种功能,而不是物质的构成。“五行说”的演变历史证明,先秦没有以五行言生化过程,《淮南子》中虽然渗入了五行观念,但还没有作为阴阳之气的次级观念参与宇宙生化。“phases”指同一实体的不同相状或形态,运用到“五行”中,使木、火、土、金、水成为性质简单、均匀同一的东西,因而失去了其实体性,与“阴阳和五行大体上被看作抽象的实体”这一普遍认识相矛盾。无论如何,西方关于“五行”翻译的争论,为中国传统哲学“走出去”提供了重要参考。The wu-hsing theory is one of the most influential theories in ancient Chinese thoughts and also an important theory of cosmogony in ancient China.How to translate the concept of wu-hsing reflects how the West understands the ancient Chinese cosmogony.Although there have been many translations for wu-hsing,three basic outlooks in terms of cosmogony easily stand out,composition outlook,power outlook and function outlook.Composition outlook represented by the translation of“five elements”holds that wu-hsing is the primary substance of the universe.Power outlook suggests to view wu-hsing as dynamic power instead of static elements in the cosmos.Function outlook,represented by the translation of“five phases”,deems that wu-hsing entails function,not composition,and that wu-hsing means different phases or states of the qi.The evolution of wu-hsing theory demonstrates that by the time of Huainanzi,wu-hsing had not been considered as a generative force together with yin and yang in the whole of creation.Since the word“phases”refers to different states of a single substance,when applied to the wu-hsing theory,it makes the fives a reducible single substance,thus losing their heterogeneity in substance.Altogether,arguments on translating wu-hsing proves to be an enlightening reference for Chinese philosophy to step into the world philosophy.

关 键 词：五行说 “五行”翻译 中国古代宇宙论 

分 类 号：H315.9[语言文字—英语] B21[哲学宗教—中国哲学]