2017翻譯碩士：中華思想文化術語翻譯選讀——渾沌

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渾沌(hùndùn)

“渾沌”又作“混沌”，有兩種不同含義：其一，指天地分化形成以前宇宙渾然一體的狀態。常以未分化之“氣”言之。天地萬物皆由“渾沌”分化演變而成。其二，特指《莊子》一則寓言中的中央之帝。中央之帝渾沌無七竅，被南海之帝儵(shū)和北海之帝忽鑿開七竅而亡。莊子以此形象寓指人無知無識、無善惡彼我之分，與整個世界渾然一體的狀態。

Chaos

The term has two meanings. First, it refers to the state of one whole mass that existed before the universe took shape, often said to exist before qi (vital force) emerged. The multitude of organisms on earth all emanated from this state. Second, it refers to Chaos, king of the Central Region in a fable in Zhuangzi. According to the fable, Chaos had no eyes, nose, mouth or ears. Shu, king of the South Sea, and Hu, king of the North Sea, drilled seven apertures into Chaos and killed him. Zhuangzi used this story to show the state of chaos of the world in which there is neither knowledge or wisdom, nor distinction between good and evil.

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【引例】

說《易》者曰：“元氣未分，渾沌為一。”(王充《論衡•談天》)

南海之帝為儵，北海之帝為忽，中央之帝為渾沌。儵與忽時相與遇于渾沌之地，渾沌待之甚善。儵與忽謀報渾沌之德，曰：人皆有七竅以視聽食息，此獨無有，嘗試鑿之。日鑿一竅，七日而渾沌死。(《莊子•應帝王》)

Those who commented on The Book of Changes said, “Before qi (vital force) appeared, the world was in a state of formless chaos.”(Wang Chong: A Comparative Study of Different Schools of Learning)

The king of the South Sea was called Shu, the king of the North Sea was called Hu, and the king of the Central Region was called Chaos. Shu and Hu often met in the territory of Chaos, who treated them very well. They wanted to repay his kindness, and said, “Every man has seven apertures with which to hear, to see, to eat and drink, and to breathe, but Chaos alone has none of them. Let’s try and bore some for him.” They bored one aperture on Chaos each day, and on the seventh day Chaos died. (Zhuangzi)