2025年4月16日下午，英國利茲大學講席教授、博士生導師王斌華教授受邀在人文學院同傳室做瞭一場題爲《嚴複提齣“信達雅”之前的早期翻譯：嚴譯〈泰晤士報〉中英關係政論》的學術講座。講座吸引瞭衆多師生前來聆聽，大傢深入探討瞭嚴複早期翻譯作品的曆史意義及其對中國近代外交史的重要影響。
王教授從曆史角度切入，重點探討瞭翻譯傢嚴複在1878年翻譯《泰晤士報》有關中英關係政論文章的曆史背景與意義。王教授指齣，這篇翻譯作品比嚴複提齣著名的“信達雅”翻譯標準早瞭約20年，卻鮮少在翻譯研究領域被提及。講座中，王教授詳細展示瞭嚴複所翻譯的1878年11月30日《泰晤士報》上題爲Our Diplomatic Relations With China的政論文章內容，通過分析這篇被忽視的重要文獻，揭示瞭中國曆史上第一任駐外公使郭嵩燾的外交經曆，以及其在當時中英關係中的重要影響。值得一提的是嚴複對這篇政論的翻譯，不僅反映瞭當時西方媒體對中國外交的觀察，也展示瞭嚴複早期翻譯工作對中國近代外交史的見證作用。王教授強調，即便在當今技術高速發展的時代，翻譯工作仍然承載着傳播思想和啓髮智慧的重要社會責任，嚴複的這篇早期翻譯作品，正是這種跨文化交流與思想傳播的典範。
王斌華教授在翻譯研究領域享有盛譽。他目前擔任多個國際期刊的編輯工作，已發表80餘篇研究論文，著有多部學術專著。此次講座是澳門大學翻譯傳譯認知研究中心交流係列活動之一，爲校內師生提供瞭難得的機會，進一步推動瞭跨學科的學術對話與合作。
On the afternoon of April 16, 2025, Professor Wang Binhua, Chair Professor and PhD supervisor from the University of Leeds, UK, was invited to deliver an academic lecture titled “Yan Fu’s Early Translation 20 Years Before Proposing ‘Faithfulness, Expressiveness, and Elegance’: His Translation of The Times‘ Political Commentary on Sino-British Relations” in the Simultaneous Interpreting Room of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The lecture attracted many faculty members and students, who engaged in in-depth discussions on the historical significance of Yan Fu’s early translation work and its important impact on modern Chinese diplomatic history.
Professor Wang approached the topic from a historical perspective, focusing on the historical background and significance of translator Yan Fu’s 1878 translation of a political commentary on Sino-British relations from The Times. Professor Wang pointed out that this translation work predates Yan Fu’s famous “faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance” (Xin Da Ya) translation criteria by approximately 20 years, yet it is seldom mentioned within translation studies research. During the lecture, Professor Wang presented in detail the content of the political commentary titled “Our Diplomatic Relations With China,” published in The Times on November 30, 1878, which Yan Fu translated. By analysing this significant yet often overlooked document, he shed light on the diplomatic experiences of Guo Songtao, China’s first minister dispatched abroad, and his important impact on Sino-British relations during that period. Notably, Yan Fu’s translation of this commentary not only reflected Western media’s observations of Chinese diplomacy at the time but also showcased the role of his early translation work as a testimony to modern Chinese diplomatic history. Professor Wang emphasized that even in the current era of rapid technological advancement, translation continues to bear the significant social responsibility of disseminating ideas and inspiring wisdom. He highlighted Yan Fu’s early translation as a prime example of this kind of cross-cultural communication and intellectual exchange.
Professor Wang Binhua is highly renowned in the field of translation studies. He currently holds editorial positions for several international journals, has published over 80 research articles, and authored numerous academic monographs. This lecture was part of an exchange series hosted by the University of Macau’s Centre for Studies of Translation, Interpreting and Cognition, offering a valuable opportunity for faculty and students on campus to further promote interdisciplinary academic dialogue and collaboration.