翻译研究 | Vigilante该怎么翻译?

对于vigilante这个词,中文的翻译常会出现一些看似微小,实则严重的偏差。常见的vigilante译法有:民间护法者、义务警察、义警警员、(自发组织维持社区治安的)联防队员和治安委员会成员。根据《韦氏词典》,vigilante 为a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly: a self-appointed doer of justice。需要注意这里的when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate和summarily,即done quickly in a way that does not follow the normal process。

可见,vigilante对官方执法感到失望,进而自发采取不符合正规程序的措施惩治暴力。这一点从《韦氏词典》中vigilante的用法示例也可看出:the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people. 自命为法律维护者的vigilantes可能会对无辜的人下手。

翻译研究 | Vigilante该怎么翻译

福克斯新闻网站题为《’This is war’: Florida sheriff urges citizens to arm themselves in case of attack》的文章中有这样的语句:The sheriff’s message received a mixed response. Some residents applauded his stance while others criticized it, calling it “fear-mongering”and encouraging vigilantes。看来鼓励人们成为vigilantes并不是什么好事。

结合以上两个例子,能够发现vigilante这个词多少有些负面含义,极有可能成为破坏稳定、扭曲正义的力量。

从这个角度看,无论是“义务警察”还是“治安委员会成员”都没体现vigilante存在的问题,反而给他们披上了合法以及正规或被认可的外衣,尤其是“义务警察”会让人觉得vigilantes不计报酬帮助警察打击犯罪,两者关系和谐融洽。

为了体现vigilante未经许可、私自行事的特点,可考虑将其译为“私警”。

(中国翻译研究院)