賽珍珠譯本《水滸傳》中的女性角色

《水滸傳》是一部充滿男權主義的古典小說，而且許多女性角色都是從反面來進行描寫，如潘金蓮、閻婆惜等放蕩角色，而女性英雄們則都被男性化，失去了女性的柔美，單從女英雄的稱呼上就能看出，如一丈青扈三娘、母夜叉孫二孃、母大蟲顧大嫂。賽珍珠作爲女性譯者，發揮了譯者的主觀能動性，在尊重原文意義的基礎上，對原文中的女性形象進行了一定程度的改寫。

例1、那清河縣裏有一個大戶人家，有個使女，小名喚作潘金蓮，年方二十餘歲，頗有些顏色。因爲那個大戶要纏他，這使女只是去告主人婆，意下不肯依從。那個大戶以此恨記於心，卻倒賠些房奩，不要武大一文錢，白白嫁與他。

賽譯：Now in the city of Ching Ho was a great family who had a slave girl whose mother’s family was surnamed Pan, and her own name was Golden Lotus. Her age was something over twenty and she was exceedingly beautiful. Because the lord of that house desired her this maid wanted to tell his wife for she would not give in to him. Then the Lord remembered this and hated her, and so he gave her a dowry and he gave her for nothing to Wu The First as wife.

沙譯：Now, it happened that a wealthy family there had a maidservant by the name of Pan Jinlian. In her early twenties, she was quite pretty, and the master of the house began pestering her. Jinlian, or Golden Lotus, didn’t want him, and told his wife. He hated her so much for this that he personally provided her with a dowry and married her off to Wu the Elder, free of charge.

解析：此片段介紹了潘金蓮的身世背景，以及嫁給武大郎的緣由。沙博理的譯文爲“Jinlian, or Golden Lotus, didn’t want him”。而賽珍珠的譯文爲“she would not give in to him”，“give in to”展現了潘金蓮不願屈服、敢於反抗的性格特點。賽譯增加了作者自己的理解，引導讀者在男權世界下對女性主體的重新認識。

例2、潘金蓮被武松說了這一篇，一點紅從耳朵邊起，紫漲了麪皮，指着武大便罵道：“你這個腌臢混沌！有甚麼言語在外人處說來，欺負老孃！我是一個不戴頭巾男子漢，叮叮嗜喈的婆娘！拳頭上立得人，胳膊上走得馬，人面上行得人，不是那搠不出的鱉老婆。”

賽譯：When Wu Sung had said this to the woman a little red began to creep out from her ears and her face turned a deep scarlet. She pointed at Wu The Elder and began to curse, saying, “ You filthy stupid thing! What have you been saying outside to persecute me? I am as good as a man even if I do not wrap a man’s kerchief about my head. A good sound female I am — as sound as a cup that rings true I am! A man could stand on my fist, and a horse could gallop on my outstretched arm! I am better than the best! I am not one of those that cannot be brought out for others to see, and I am no good — for — naught female.”

解析：這段話描寫的是潘金蓮勾引武松遭拒後的情景。潘金蓮在原文中是個放蕩的潑婦形象，也是歷來不貞女性的象徵，但是賽珍珠的譯文中增補了“I am as good as a man”“ A good sound female I am”和“I am no good — for — naught female”這些語句，反而給讀者留下了一個巾幗不讓鬚眉的直爽女性的形象，展現了潘金蓮雖擁有姣好面容，卻嫁給武大郎，內心深處的不滿與憤怒。

例3、看看抹過大樹邊，早望見一個酒店，門前窗檻邊坐着一個婦人，露出綠紗衫兒來。頭上黃烘烘的插着一頭釵環，鬢邊插着些野花......下面系一條鮮紅生絹裙，搽一臉胭脂鉛粉，敞開胸脯，露出桃紅紗主腰，上面一色金鈕。

賽譯：Passing beside the tree they saw a wine shop and there on a beach beneath the window and beside the door sat a woman and she was robed in a green robe and on her head were many yellow glittering ornaments of gold. Over her ears she had thrust wild wore girdle about her a thin silk skirt of a deep red color. All over her face she had spread powder and paint, and her gown was open at the bosom so that her inner garment showed a pale peach hue. Across the top of this garment was a row of gold buttons, each like to the other.

解析: 選段爲孫二孃的出場，原作者用了“露出”、“敞開”、“搽”等字眼，展現了一個略顯粗魯低俗的女性形象，而賽珍珠只選用了較爲中性的詞語，如“open”“show”“wear”，一定程度上弱化了原文中被貶低的人物形象。

例4、一丈青見宋江義氣深重，推不得，兩口兒只得拜謝了。

賽譯：The The Ten Foot Green Snake, seeing how kind a man Sung Chiang was, could not refuse him.

沙譯：Ten Feet of Steel saw how deeply Song Jiang felt his chinalrous obligation. She was unable to refuse.

解析：在梁山三位女英雄中，一丈青扈三娘最爲漂亮，武功也很高強，但在男權社會中，她完全處於失語狀態。即使宋江設計讓宋太公認她做幹女兒，然後將她許配給王矮虎時，也只好順從接受。在沙譯中將義氣譯爲“chivalrous obligation”,而在賽譯中則爲“seeing how kind a man Sung Chiang was”。這個“義氣”，更多的其實是宋江對往矮虎的義氣，是建立在決定他人婚嫁之上的義氣。賽珍珠將其解讀爲宋江對自己不錯，不能讓宋江難堪，無奈答應。

賽珍珠並不認同《水滸傳》中對女性的偏見，在處理處於被醜化和失語的女性角色時，她採取個性化的翻譯策略，讓這些女性形象更加多面、更加立體豐富。