漢文古典飜譯史的 맥락에서 본 非文 문제

Abstract

Chinese classics has been translated by the government subsidy for forty years, but has been evaluated as being abstruse and difficult to read. In particular, recent review on the translation of classics indicated the problem of verbal communication. Every reviewer commented that the literal translation and unfamiliar chinese words led to the confusion of understanding and communication, that is to say, the problem of ungrammatical sentence. Ungrammatical sentence means the sentence that would not express the exact meaning and context grammatically. But ungrammatical sentences in the translation of classics have a little more broad significance. In other words, ungrammatical sentences extend over expressional problem owing to unfamiliar chinese words, to say nothing of ungrammatical phrase owing to a literal translation. The translation is an act which ensures an equal value of meaning between one language and another language. One language and another language means totally different semantics and syntax between languages. Accordingly, the words and grammatical structure of source language are not translated into target language as it is. But in translation of chinese classics, such a grammatical mistake is often and often again made, and leads to ungrammatical sentence. This situation is caused by the historical peculiarity of chinese classics in Korea. Chinese writing system was formerly an official writing system in Korea. The Kap-o Reform of 1894 took away the official status of Chinese writing system. American military government in Korea exclude Chinese writing from education under the new system. The translation work of classics began in such circumstances. Senior scholars should obey the call of duty to translate a great deal of old classics and documentary records. But man power for translation work was wanting in ability and number, and scholars of Chinese classics took charge of major role. The Chinese classics generation managed to learn Chinese writing and literature outside of degree education. They would not translate chinese classics into completely modern korean language, leaving traces of Chinese writing. Nevertheless they ought to take the initiative in translation of classics, and to train the new man power for translation. Without them, the translation of classics could not produce satisfactory results as of now. Ungrammatical sentence has been structuralized in such historical circumstances. Therefore we should not ascribe the problem of ungrammatical sentence to individual defect. This problem is an inevitable task to carry out and to overcome in history of translation of classics. But we cannot disregard or keep up the structural error of ungrammatical sentence, and fail to innovate the translation system for classics. To this end, translators have to open one’s eyes and renew all knowledge and attitude on translation of classics.