任何语言行为都是修辞的，翻译也不例外。“翻译，不是技术层面就事论事的语言转换，而是一定文化语境下的修辞重构。”^[1]译者是修辞重构行为的主体，译者修辞认知是修辞重构中起决定性的主体认知，而译文正是译者修辞认知的集中汇集。对不同译本的比较分析可以得出译者修辞认知是如何驾驭从源语到目的语的修辞重构。

原文本、译者和译本三者之间的关系是探讨翻译问题的核心。不管是传统意义上关于翻译应忠实原文的翻译标准；还是功能学派提出的翻译应考虑翻译的目的，特别是目的语读者受众对译本的阅读接受。前者立足于以原文本为中心，要求译者的翻译必须忠于原文；后者则提出目的语受众为中心，译者应考虑受众的接受需求。两大分野各有侧重，但对于译者在整个翻译过程中的重要性似乎都心照不宣地达成共识，只是很少具体化地衡量译者的重要性。^[2]

笔者认为，不能将原文本、译者和译本三者割裂来看翻译，而应充分认识译者在整个翻译过程中的桥梁、纽带的作用。这种作用是源于翻译中交流沟通、互通有无的翻译目的；这种作用也契合修辞行为在沟通中达到最佳言说效果的修辞目的。笔者将其称之为译者修辞认知。所谓译者修辞认知，是指译者在从源语到目的语的转换过程中，有意识地在译文中融入对原文本自我个人主观的阅读认知，在译入语中呈现出为目的语受众所接受的普遍再阅读认知。译者修辞认知能更好地衡量译者在翻译过程中的重要作用，也能更进一步细化讨论原文本、译者和译本三者的关系。^[3]

据此，译者修辞认知至少应该包括三个部分。第一，客观的译者修辞认知。从本质上讲，认知虽然是主观的，带有强烈的个人色彩，但所有主观认知都是建立在对客观世界的认识之上。译者的主观发挥是有一定限制的，这限制就源于原文本提供的语源限制、语境设置。任何翻译都不可能是脱离原文的无“本”之“木”。原文本是任何翻译实践活动的出发点，也是翻译结果的“根本”所在，能够从根本上确保译者修辞认知的客观性。第二，主观的译者修辞认知。承认译者客观修辞认知的前提下，应充分认识到译者修辞认知的主观性。这种主观修辞认知是源于译者个体认知的差异性，译者主体所处环境不同、知识结构、文化差异等不同的外部环境因素，均能导致译者面对同一部原文本时，采取各自不同的翻译。从本质上来说，翻译主要是对在不同文化背景和社会环境中所形成的文本语码进行映射性转译，包括了译者对原文本和目标文本的认知过程中对相关认知域的认知结构，不同译者对同一语篇自然会有不同的理解，也会有不同的译法。^[4]第三，译者修辞认知的目的性。考虑翻译的目的和译入语受众的接受阅读，是规定译者修辞认知的落脚点。翻译中，译者在发挥个人修辞认知主观性的同时必须兼顾译入语受众认知接受的特点，帮助读者建构有效的理想认知模式。强烈的译者修辞认知能最大限度地保障译本在目的语文化中被广为接纳。

经典文学翻译中，译者修辞认知往往发挥出至关重要的作用，不断刷新翻译经典。《红楼梦》英译本中，以杨宪益和夫人戴乃迭合译的A Dream of Red Mansions (120回全译本)和英国汉学家霍克斯翻译的The Story of The Stone(前80回，分三卷，标题分别是The Golden Days, The Flower-Crab Club, The Warning Voice)版本堪称经典之最。笔者尝试从译者修辞认知的角度，选取《红楼梦》三则有关性爱描写的片断，第12回、第15回和第21回，对比分析霍译和杨译中译者如何发挥出不同的修辞认知，更有效地鉴赏两大译本。三则语料主要情节和具体内容如下(略有删减)：

第12回(贾瑞贪恋凤姐，自我“表演”一番)：那贾瑞只盼不到晚上……只见黑魆魆的来了一个人，贾瑞便意定是凤姐，不管皂白，饿虎一般，等那人刚至门前，便如猫捕鼠的一般，抱住叫道：“我的亲嫂子，等死我了！”说着，抱到屋里炕上就亲嘴扯裤子，满口里“亲娘”“亲爹”的乱叫起来。那人只不作声。贾瑞扯了自己裤子，硬帮帮的就想顶入。忽见灯光一闪，只见贾蔷举着个捻子照道：“谁在屋里？”只见炕上那人笑道：“瑞大叔要肏我呢。”贾瑞一见，却是贾蓉，真臊得无地可入，不知要怎么样才好。

第15回(秦钟遇智能，得趣馒头庵)：谁想秦钟趁黑无人，来寻智能。刚至后面房中，只见智能独在房中洗茶碗，秦钟跑来便搂着亲嘴。智能急得跺脚说：“这算什么呢！再这么，我就叫唤了。”秦钟求道：“好人，我已急死了。你今儿再不依，我就死在这里。”智能道：“你想怎样？除非等我出了这牢坑，离了这些人，才依你。”秦钟道：“这也容易，只是远水救不得近渴。”说着，一口吹了灯，满屋漆黑，将智能抱在炕上就云雨起来。那智能百般挣挫不起，又不好叫的，少不得依他了。

第21回(贾琏与“多姑娘儿”首次偷情)：那个贾琏，只离了凤姐便要寻事，独寝了两夜，便十分难熬，便暂将小厮们内有清俊的选来出火。……因他自小父母替他在外娶了一个媳妇，今年方二十来往年纪，生得有几分人才，见者无不羡爱。她生性轻浮，最喜拈花惹草，多浑虫又不理论，只是有酒有肉有钱，便诸事不管了，所以荣、宁二府之人都得入手。……那多姑娘儿也曾有意于贾琏，只恨没空，今闻贾琏挪在外书房来，她便没事也走两趟去招惹。……进门一见其态，早已魄飞魂散，也不用情谈款叙，便宽衣动作起来。谁知这媳妇有天生的奇趣，一经男子挨身，便觉遍身筋骨瘫软，使男子如卧绵上；更兼淫态浪言，压倒娼妓，诸男子至此，岂有惜命者哉！那贾琏恨不得连身子化在她身上。那媳妇故作浪语，在下说道：“你家女儿出花儿，供着娘娘，你也该忌两日，倒为我脏了身子，快离了我这里罢！”贾琏一面大动，一面喘吁吁答道：“你就是娘娘，我哪里管什么娘娘！”那媳妇越浪，贾琏越丑态毕露。一时事毕，两个又海誓山盟，难分难舍，此后遂成相契。

以上三则关于性爱描述的片段，从语言风格上，继承了中国文化表达此类话题的含蓄、内敛的一贯写法，如“有意、难熬、寻事、依了他”等用词。但实际上，也有部分语言表达有悖于传统的表达方式，而略显直接、露骨，如“贾瑞扯了自己裤子，硬帮帮的就想顶入”“进门一见其态，早已魄飞魂散，也不用情谈款叙，便宽衣动作起来。谁知这媳妇有天生的奇趣，一经男子挨身，便觉遍身筋骨瘫软，使男子如卧绵上；更兼淫态浪言，压倒娼妓，诸男子至此，岂有惜命者哉！”等。《红楼梦》这三则性爱描写从语言风格上来看，明显承袭了明清艳情小说性爱写实的叙事技巧，更类似西方文化的有关性爱描写的语言特色。《红楼梦》出现之前明清艳情小说已经具备了较为成熟的关于性爱描写的创作模式和作品，甚至有了诸如《金瓶梅》这样的艳情小说精品。^[5]这三则性爱描写片段或多或少有艳情小说描写的痕迹，集中突出在“淫”--贾瑞意淫地一番自我“表演”，秦钟在佛门庵寺对女尼的“越礼”，贾琏和多姑娘儿偷情的“欢愉场景”。有趣的是，性爱描写片段中三位女性的参与程度不同，王熙凤不在场，女尼智能半推半就，惟有多姑娘儿“积极主动、乐在其中”。不论这三则语料中男女主角的表现如何有别，但从语言表达效果上看，集中突出在“俗”--“亲嘴扯裤子，满口里 ‘亲娘’ ‘亲爹’的乱叫起来”“硬帮帮的就想顶入”“肏、浪、脏、大动”等。“淫”和“俗”的性爱描写最终突出在“丑”和“真”--只为满足个人淫欲的性爱举动无法展现“两情相悦”时的美感，小说真实地再现各种性爱丑态，带给读者及其逼“真”的阅读感受。“淫”“俗”“丑”最终都为了表现性爱描写的“真”。原文本的这一特点应该引起译者的足够重视。作者曹雪芹毫不避讳地将三个男子在性爱表达中的丑态刻画得淋漓尽致。笔者认为，这是原作在性爱描写中对译者提出的客观修辞认知。如果有碍于中国文化对性爱描写“欲语还羞”的惯性思维进行翻译处理，势必弱化原作中精彩的描写，违背作者创作中暴露这三个男子丑态毕露的目的，也必将《红楼梦》生动的语言和深刻的内涵大打折扣。基于对原文语言风格的客观理解基础上，译者的主观修辞认知便能找到符合译入语受众阅读接受的切入点，尊重英语文化中阅读受众对《红楼梦》性爱描写“淫”“俗”“丑”“真”的审美期待和阅读期待。从译者修辞认知入手，明显地体会到二位翻译大家对原文本不同的认知和翻译处理。

《红楼梦》第12回、第15回和第21回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照如表 1、表 2和表 3所示。

表 1

表 1 《红楼梦》第12回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表 霍译本 杨译本 As he was in the midst of these gloomy imagines, a dark figure glided into the room. Certain that it must be Xi-feng, Jia Rui cast all caution to the winds and, when the figure approached him, threw himself upon it like a hungry tiger seizing its prey or a cat pouncing on a harmless mouse. “My darling, how I have waited for you!” he exclaimed, enfolding his beloved in his arms; and carrying her to the kang, he laid her down and began kissing her and tugging at her trousers, murmuring “my sweetest darling” and “my honey love” and other such endearment in between kisses. Throughout all of this not a single sound was uttered by his partner. Jia Rui now tore down his own trousers and prepared to thrust home his hard and throbbing member. Suddenly a light flashed-and there was Jia Qiang holding aloft a candle in a candlestick which he shone around: “Who is in this room?” At this the person on the kang gave a giggle: “Uncle Rui is trying to bugger me!” (178words) Just then a dark figure appeared. Sure that it was Xifeng, he threw caution to the winds and barely had the figure stepped through the door than he flung himself on it like a ravenous tiger, or a cat pouncing on a mouse. “Dearest!” he cried. “I nearly died of longing.” He carried her to the kang, where he showered kisses on her and fumbled with her clothes, pouring out incoherent endearments. Not a sound came from the figure in his arms. Jia Rui had just pulled down his pants and prepared to set to work when a sudden flash of light made him look up. There stood Jia Qiang, a taper in his hand. “What’s going on in here?” he demanded. The figure on the kang said with a chuckle, “Uncle Rui was trying to bugger me.”(138 words)

表 1 《红楼梦》第12回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表

以第12回为例，贾瑞对凤姐怀有非分之想，图谋不轨。这样一个无耻之徒，在性爱表达中流露出了急不可耐的心态、肮脏恶心的丑态。霍译本中对细节的处理远远比杨译本更加细致、到位和贴切，保持着应有的客观的译者修辞认知。例如：贾瑞迫不及待地呼喊“亲爹”“亲娘”的细节处理，霍译本翻译：murmuring “my sweetest darling” and “my honey love” and other such endearment in between kisses；而杨译本中却只字未译，直接省略了，大大减少了性爱描写过程中的声音效果，不够“真”。

表 2

表 2 《红楼梦》第15回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表 霍译本 杨译本 Meanwhile Qin Zhong had taken advantage of the darkness and the fact that there was no one much about to prosecute his designs on Sapientia. He found her on her own in one of the rooms at the back of the priory washing up tea-things. Throwing his arms around her from behind, he gave her a kiss. Sapientia stamped with vexation: “What are you doing? Stop it!” She was about to call out, but Qin Zhong spoke entreatingly: “Darling Sappy! I want you so desperately! If you won’t let me, I’ll just lie down and die!”” “if you want me, ” said Sapientia, “you must first get me out of this hole and away from these people. Then you can do what you like.” “that’s easy, ” said Qin Zhong. “but “distant water is no cure for a present thirst”” And with that he blew out the light, plunging the room into inky darkness, and carried Sapientia on to the kang. She struggled hard to get up---though still not daring to call out; but soon, almost before she knew it, her breech-clout was off and the ship was in the harbor. (190 words) Meanwhile Qin Zhong had taken advantage of the darkness and the fact that nobody was about to go in search Zhineng. Having found her alone in a back room washing up the tea things, he threw his arms around her and kissed her. “What are you doing?” the voice stamped her foot in desperation and threatened to call out. “Darling, ” he pleaded, “I’m dying of longing for you. If you refuse me again this evening, I’ll die here on the spot.” “what are you thinking of? At least wait till I’m clear of this prison and these people?” “That’s easy to manage, but “distant water can’t quench a present thirst.”” With that he blew out the lamp, plunging the room into pitch darkness, and carried her to the kang. Zhineng struggled in vain to free herself but did not like to scream, so she had to let him have his way with her. (153 words)

表 2 《红楼梦》第15回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表

表 3

表 3 《红楼梦》第21回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表(有删减) 霍译本 杨译本 Jia Lian was the sort of man who will begin getting up to mischief the moment he takes leave of his wife. After only a couple of nights sleeping on his own he began to find abstinence extremely irksome and was reduced to slaking his fires on the more presentable of his pages. But other relief was at hand. …Two years previous to this date Droopy’s father had provided him with a wife. She was now just turned twenty, a fine, good-looking young wanton, always eager to throw herself at whatever partners opportunity might place in her way. Droopy Duo raised no objection to her infidelities. As long as he had meat to eat and wine to drink and money in his pocket he saw no reason to concern himself about anything else. Consequently there was scarly an able-bodied male in the Ning-guo and Rong-guo mansions who had not at one time or another sampled her wares… The Mattress, too, had for some time past had her eye on Jia Lian, and it was a source of regret to her that he had so far proved unapproachable. Learning that he had now moved to his study outside, she managed to find excuse for passing by that way three or four times in a day, provoking Jia Lian to pinth of frantic eagerness only to be compared with that of a starving rat confronted by some food… The mere sight of her proved so potent a stimulant that without wasting any time on tender preliminaries, he took down his trousers and set to work at once. Now this wife of Duo’s had a physical peculiarity which was that as soon as the man’s body came into contact with her own she felt a delicious melting sensation invading her limbs, rendering her body soft and yielding to that of her partner, so that he had the impression of lying on a heap of down; and in addition to this natural endowment she knew more tricks of posture and more ways of exciting a man with murmured lewdnessed and amorous cries than a professional prostitute. As Jia Lian lay on top of her, wishing he could melt into her body from sheer excess of pleasure, she began to exercise this last accomplishment. “Your little girl’s got the smallpox, ” she murmured, “while they’re worshipping the Goddess, you are supposed to keep yourself pure. Naughty man! You’re making yourself unclean because of me. You must leave me out! Go away!” Jia Lian’s movement became more violent. “You are my only goddess!” he said, panting heavily. “I care for no other goddess but you!” At this the Mattress began to grow even more reckless in her incitements and Jia Lian to reveal the more disgusting of his sexual accomplishment. They lay a long time together when it was over, exchanging oaths and promises, unable to break apart. From that day onwards there was a secret understanding between them. (703 words) Jia Lian was the sort of man who once away from his wife was bound to get into mischief. Two nights alone were more than he could bear: he vented his ardour on his handsome page boys. …While he was young his parents had found him a wife who was now just about twenty, and whose good looks were the admiration of all. But she was a flighty creature who loved nothing better than to have affairs. The Muddy Worm made no objection, for provided he had wine, meat and money himself he cared for nothing else. So most of the men in the Ning and Rong Mansions had had their fling with her… Miss Duo for her part had been hankering after Jia Lian too, waiting eagerly for her chance. As soon as she heard that he had moved to the study she kept strolling past to flaunt her charms …The mere sight of her threw him into such a frenzy that with no preliminary professions of love he flung off his clothes and set to work. Now this woman was so curiously constituted that the touch of a man seemed to melt her bones, so that he felt as if bedded in cotton-wool, while in her wanton tricks and amorous cries she outside any prostitute. No man but was driven to utter frenzy by her. Jia Lian only wished he could melt into her body! To inflame him further, the woman under him teased, “Your daughter has smallpox and they’re sacrificing in your home to the goddess. You ought to lead a clean life for a couple of days, not dirty yourself for me. Hurry up and get out of here.” “You’re my goddess, ” he panted, going all out. “What do I care for any other goddess?” The more wanton the woman, the more debauched Jia Lian revealed himself. At the end of this bout they vowed to be true to each other and could hardly bear to part. From that day they became sworn lovers. (507 words)

表 3 《红楼梦》第21回所选片段霍译本和杨译本对照表(有删减)

例1.“贾瑞扯了自己裤子，硬帮帮的就想顶入”

霍译：Jia Rui now tore down his own trousers and prepared to thrust home his hard and throbbing member.

杨译：Jia Rui had just pulled down his pants and prepared to set to work.

比起霍译的修辞认知介入，杨译仅用了“to work”一词刻画贾瑞的性行为，这样的翻译处理似乎简单了些、草率了点。从译者修辞认知看，霍克斯对客观的译者修辞认知拿捏得更加到位、准确，“to thrust home his hard and throbbing member”让读者更富于想象贾瑞那副迫不及待的丑态。鲁迅曾说过：“经学家看见《易》，道学家看见淫，才子看见缠绵，革命家看见排满，流言家看见宫闱秘事……”^[6]杨译本的确简洁、明白，但对译入语的读者而言，没有让读者“见淫”的等同译效。可见，主观的译者修辞认知在对原文细节处理上发挥了关键作用，译文对译语受众起着不同的认知引导。霍克斯不仅充分领略原文关于性爱描写的“真实”“丑陋”等特点，也充分注意到作为英语民众对性爱描写的接受阅读能力，积极发挥出了译者修辞认知的目的性。

例2.“那智能百般挣挫不起，又不好叫的，少不得依他了。”

霍译：She struggled hard to get up--though still not daring to call out; but soon, almost before she knew it, her breech-clout was off and the ship was in the harbor.

杨译：Zhineng struggled in vain to free herself but did not like to scream, so she had to let him have his way with her.

杨译“to let him have his way with her”的确很准确、忠于原文；但霍译，不难看出，霍译更加“入”色，特别是“the ship was in the harbor”在译文中可谓神来之笔，带给译文读者有关性爱描写无尽的遐想。

第21回关于贾琏和“多姑娘儿”偷情的描述是整部《红楼梦》关于性爱描写渲染最充分、刻画最细致、描写最精彩的片段。对比霍译和杨译，对“多姑娘儿”的出场和她身上的“奇趣”，霍译在多个细节处一再渲染这个“淫女”角色。

例3.“今年方二十来往年纪，生得有几分人才，见者无不羡爱。她生性轻浮，最喜拈花惹草。”

霍译：She was now just turned twenty, a fine, good-looking young wanton, always eager to throw herself at whatever partners opportunity might place in her way.

杨译：While he was young his parents had found him a wife who was now just about twenty, and whose good looks were the admiration of all. But she was a flighty creature who loved nothing better than to have affairs.

杨译中对“多姑娘儿”的介绍用了“the admiration of all”，这似乎偏离了原作中对这一人物的情感定位和评价。“多姑娘儿”的滥情和淫荡至少不被赞扬和肯定，但“the admiration of all”流露出译者对人物赞许的意思，这对译语读者来讲或多或少是种误导。Admiration一词在英文牛津辞典中的解释是“钦佩；赞赏；羡慕 (a feeling of respect and liking for sb./sth.)”，用admiration一词会对英语阅读受众产生接受性误导。相较杨译，霍译对这一人物的处理就比较谨慎妥帖。

例4.“谁知这媳妇有天生的奇趣，一经男子挨身，便觉遍身筋骨瘫软，使男子如卧绵上；更兼淫态浪言，压倒娼妓，诸男子至此，岂有惜命者哉！”

霍译：Now this wife of Duo’s had a physical peculiarity which was that as soon as the man’s body came into contact with her own she felt a delicious melting sensation invading her limbs, rendering her body soft and yielding to that of her partner, so that he had the impression of lying on a heap of down; and in addition to this natural endowment she knew more tricks of posture and more ways of exciting a man with murmured lewdnessed and amorous cries than a professional prostitute. (87 words)

杨译：Now this woman was so curiously constituted that the touch of a man seemed to melt her bones, so that he felt as if bedded in cotton-wool, while in her wanton tricks and amorous cries she outside any prostitute. No man but was driven to utter frenzy by her. (49 words)

霍译和杨译对此例的翻译处理，从字数上可见一斑，霍译用了87个词，杨译本仅仅用了49个词，比霍译几乎少了一半。不得不佩服杨宪益和夫人语言表达的精练，但对于所举的性爱描写片段的分析来看，霍译似乎技高一筹。霍克斯不厌其烦地将“多姑娘儿”勾引男人的本色渲染得堪比原作，也比较符合译入语阅读受众对性爱描写的阅读期待和阅读联想。相比之下，杨译中译者修辞认知、主观认知发挥不足，译者修辞认知的目的性也不够明确、强烈。此例中，关于“多姑娘儿”的身体“奇趣”，霍译中用的“a physical peculiarity”比杨译中的“so curiously constituted that…”更加准确。peculiarity一词在英文牛津辞典中的解释是“怪异的性质(或习惯)；怪癖 (a strange or unusual feature or habit)”；而curiously一词虽然也有“奇怪；不寻常”的意思，但作为副词使用时，更多的应该是“好奇地 (having a strong desire to know about sth.)”意思。霍译的用词较贴切于原文本，更符合译入语读者的接受认知。

例5.“那媳妇越浪，贾琏越丑态毕露。一时事毕，两个又海誓山盟，难分难舍，此后遂成相契。”

霍译：At this the Mattress began to grow even more reckless in her incitements and Jia Lian to reveal the more disgusting of his sexual accomplishment.

They lay a long time together when it was over, exchanging oaths and promises, unable to break apart. From that day onwards there was a secret understanding between them.

杨译：The more wanton the woman, the more debauched Jia Lian revealed himself. At the end of this bout they vowed to be true to each other and could hardly bear to part. From that day they became sworn lovers.

此片段的最后一句，杨译中“The more … the more…”的句式给读者的感觉似乎有强烈的说教味道，而没有流露出原文关于性爱描写的风趣、韵味。最后一句中，杨译用“sworn lovers” 翻译“遂成相契”，定述贾琏和“多姑娘儿”的关系，寄予了带有褒义性质的译者修辞认知。但这既不符合原文本及源语语境中对两人偷情、奸淫关系的定论，也不符合译入语“lovers”一词给译入语读者的阅读联系。“lovers”在英语中虽然可指不合法的情人，但与《红楼梦》中描述的男盗女娼等性爱情节还相去甚远。这样的翻译对于贾琏和“多姑娘儿”的关系严重不符，偏离目的语境，对译入语读者会产生误导。霍译中“a secret understanding between them”则更符合性爱描写中不符合社会伦理道德的奸淫行为。

对比《红楼梦》三则性爱描写中霍译和杨译的英文翻译，发现译者修辞认知驾驭着两个各自不同的译本，将百年经典《红楼梦》呈现出迥异的语言风格、翻译特点。语言是修辞的，从源语到目的语的翻译也是修辞的。翻译实践无不渗透着译者--既是读者又是译语表达者的修辞认知。仅限这三则片段的分析而言，霍译中译者修辞认知发挥得更加完美、彻底，既充分尊重原作关于性爱描写的语境设置、语言特点；译入语也符合西方受众的阅读期待、美学享受；充分调动了译者修辞认知。