A study on the narrative strategies of Robert Payne and Jin Di’s co-translation of The Chinese Earth during the National Southwest Associated University period
西南联大时期白英与金隄合译《中国土地》的叙事策略研究

摘要

1947年，经金隄初译、罗伯特·白英润色并推动出版的沈从文小说英译选本《中国土地》在伦敦面世。作为英语世界首部沈从文作品专集，该译本在中国现代文学英译史上具有重要的开拓意义。本文以叙事重构理论与跨文化翻译研究为分析框架，从篇目遴选与编排、叙事节奏调适、人物对话转译及乡土意象转化四个维度，考察西南联大语境下该译本的叙事建构路径。研究表明，《中国土地》并非单纯的语际转换产物，而是原作者、中方译者与英语母语编辑三方协作完成的跨文化译介实践——沈从文通过篇目筛选与文本释义确定小说集的乡土叙事内核，金隄完成语义与地域文化的初步转译，白英则以英语文学语体的打磨实现目标读者的接受适配。这种三方协作模式在保留湘西乡土世界原生质感与文学诗性的基础上，搭建起符合英语读者阅读习惯的叙事逻辑，为当代中国文学的跨文化传播提供了可资参照的历史经验。

Abstract

In 1947, The Chinese Earth: Stories by Shen Ts’ung-wen, the first English-translated anthology of Shen Congwen’s fiction, was published in London. The volume was initially translated by Jin Di, with subsequent stylistic refinement and promotional support from Robert Payne. Drawing on theories of narrative strategy and cross-cultural translation, this study examines the narrative construction strategies employed in the translation, considering the context of the National Southwest Associated University. The analysis focuses on textual selection and arrangement, narrative rhythm adjustment, character dialogue translation, and the transformation of local imagery. The findings indicate that the translation is not merely a product of interlingual transfer, but rather a cross-cultural narrative project realized through the collaboration of the original author, the Chinese translator, and the English editor. Shen Congwen established the local narrative core through text selection and interpretation, Jin Di facilitated the initial transfer of semantics and regional culture, and Payne ensured the adaptation for target readers by refining the English literary style. This tripartite collaboration not only preserves the original texture and literary qualities of the rural world in western Hunan but also constructs a narrative approach aligned with the reading habits of English audiences, providing a significant historical reference for the cross-cultural dissemination of Chinese literature.