The paratextual practice of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Elegance”: An analysis of Zhou Xuliang's translation strategies in prefaces and annotations
“信达雅”的副文本实践：周煦良译作序跋与注释的翻译策略分析

摘要

本研究以皖籍翻译家周煦良的翻译实践为对象，探讨其通过“副文本”策略，动态诠释严复的“信达雅”翻译原则。在“信”方面，周煦良强调“理解优先”，通过注释对科学与哲学翻译中文化背景及知识错漏进行修正；在“达”方面，他秉承“读者导向”原则，通过注释和译序解构跨文化壁垒，实现译文通顺与认知通达相结合；在“雅”方面，则通过文体适配与韵律再现，突破严复“雅驯”桎梏，使译文兼具语言与审美的契合性。周煦良的副文本策略不仅展现了翻译作为文化和知识调适工具的独特价值，也使“信达雅”从静态标准转化为体系化的动态实践。

Abstract

This study focuses on the translation practices of Zhou Xuliang, a translator from Anhui, to explore how he dynamically interprets Yan Fu's translation principles of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Elegance” through paratextual strategies. Regarding faithfulness, Zhou emphasizes “understanding as a priority”，using annotations to correct cultural context and factual errors in scientific and philosophical translations. For expressiveness, he adopts a “reader-centered” approach, utilizing annotations and prefaces to dismantle cross-cultural barriers, achieving both textual fluency and cognitive accessibility. Concerning elegance, Zhou employs stylistic adaptation and rhythmic reproduction to break free from Yan Fu's constraint of “archaic refinement,” ensuring the translated text aligns with both linguistic and aesthetic qualities. Zhou Xuliang's paratextual strategies not only highlight the unique value of translation as a tool for cultural and knowledge adaptation but also transform the static standard of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Elegance” into a systematic and dynamic practice.