“物竞天择，适者生存”观的译入、接受及等值性再思考
The Translation, Acceptance and Rethinking of the Concept of “Survival of the Fittest”

严复译入的“物竞天择，适者生存”观，在清末中国的接受程度颇高，但其在汉语文化语境中的意义与其源语“survival of the fittest in the natural world”在英语文化语境中的意义不完全等值。在汉语文化语境中它的目的是为了保种图存。在英语文化语境中却为侵略战争、海外殖民、种族主义等存在的合理性提供理论依据，虽然它们现已遭到唾弃，但仍时常沉渣泛起。亡国灭种的独特国情，使国人接受了译入语“物竞天择，适者生存”，但这种接受是在重“德”的文化土壤中、在去蔽基础上的容纳，不是全盘接受。严复渊雅的用语，既忠实于原文又拔高了原文，提高了译语的接受程度，却也令许多国人止步于“物竞”，“天择”，“适者生存”等口号，而没有在社会达尔文主义的重要观点上形成与西方人等值的理解。
The concept of “survival of the fittest” translated by Yan Fu was highly accepted in China in the late Qing Dynasty. However, its meaning in the Chinese cultural context is not exactly equivalent to the original meaning of “survival of the fittest in the natural world” in the English cultural context. In the Chinese cultural context, its purpose is to preserve the Chinese people, culture and nation. In the English cultural context, it provides theoretical basis for the rationality of aggressive wars, overseas colonization, racism, etc. The threat of subjugation and genocide have led Chinese people to accept the translated concept “survival of the fittest”. However, their acceptance is based on the cultural soil that emphasizes “morality” and is not a complete acceptance. The acceptance is on the basis of elimination of inhumane features in the original text. Yan Fu’s elegant translation is faithful to the original text and, in the meanwhile, elevates the original text, which improves the acceptance of the rendition. However, it also makes many Chinese people content with slogans like “competition of the species”, “natural selection”, and “survival of the fittest” instead of developing an understanding equivalent to that of Westerners on important aspects of Social Darwinism.