제임스 레게의 맹자 역주 3

기획의 변
제임스 레게 <맹자> 초역의 학술적 의의

제6권 고자장구(告子章句) 상(上) ·················· 1299
제1장 ······························································ 1303
제2장 ······························································ 1309
제3장 ······························································ 1317
제4장 ······························································ 1321
제5장 ······························································ 1331
제6장 ······························································ 1339
제7장 ······························································ 1353
제8장 ······························································ 1365
제9장 ······························································ 1375
제10장 ···························································· 1381
제11장 ···························································· 1395
제12장 ···························································· 1401
제13장 ···························································· 1405
제14장 ···························································· 1407
제15장 ···························································· 1417
제16장 ···························································· 1423
제17장 ···························································· 1427
제18장 ···························································· 1433
제19장 ···························································· 1437
제20장 ···························································· 1439

제6권 고자장구(告子章句) 하(下) ················· 1443
제1장 ······························································ 1447
제2장 ······························································ 1459
제3장 ······························································ 1471
제4장 ······························································ 1481
제5장 ······························································ 1491
제6장 ······························································ 1499
제7장 ······························································ 1511
제8장 ······························································ 1523
제9장 ······························································ 1533
제10장 ···························································· 1539
제11장 ···························································· 1547
제12장 ···························································· 1551
제13장 ···························································· 1553
제14장 ···························································· 1561
제15장 ···························································· 1567
제16장 ···························································· 1577

제7권 진심장구(盡心章句) 상(上) ················· 1579
제1장 ····························································· 1583
제2장 ····························································· 1591
제3장 ····························································· 1597
제4장 ····························································· 1601
제5장 ····························································· 1605
제6장 ····························································· 1607
제7장 ····························································· 1609
제8장 ····························································· 1611
제9장 ····························································· 1613
제10장 ··························································· 1621
제11장 ··························································· 1623
제12장 ··························································· 1625
제13장 ··························································· 1627
제14장 ··························································· 1633
제15장 ··························································· 1635
제16장 ··························································· 1639
제17장 ··························································· 1641
제18장 ··························································· 1643
제19장 ··························································· 1647
제20장 ··························································· 1653
제21장 ··························································· 1659
제22장 ··························································· 1665
제23장 ··························································· 1671
제24장 ··························································· 1677
제25장 ··························································· 1681
제26장 ··························································· 1685
제27장 ··························································· 1691
제28장 ··························································· 1695
제29장 ··························································· 1697
제30장 ··························································· 1699
제31장 ··························································· 1703
제32장 ··························································· 1707
제33장 ··························································· 1709
제34장 ··························································· 1713
제35장 ··························································· 1715
제36장 ··························································· 1721
제37장 ··························································· 1727
제38장 ··························································· 1731
제39장 ··························································· 1733
제40장 ··························································· 1737
제41장 ··························································· 1743
제42장 ··························································· 1747
제43장 ··························································· 1749
제44장 ··························································· 1751
제45장 ··························································· 1753
제46장 ··························································· 1755

제7권 진심장구(盡心章句) 하(下) ··················1759
제1장 ······························································ 1763
제2장 ······························································ 1767
제3장 ······························································ 1771
제4장 ······························································ 1775
제5장 ······························································ 1781
제6장 ······························································ 1783
제7장 ······························································ 1785
제8장 ······························································ 1787
제9장 ······························································ 1789
제10장 ···························································· 1791
제11장 ···························································· 1793
제12장 ···························································· 1795
제13장 ···························································· 1799
제14장 ···························································· 1801
제15장 ···························································· 1807
제16장 ···························································· 1809
제17장 ···························································· 1811
제18장 ···························································· 1813
제19장 ···························································· 1815
제20장 ···························································· 1821
제21장 ···························································· 1823
제22장 ···························································· 1825
제23장 ···························································· 1829
제24장 ···························································· 1833
제25장 ···························································· 1837
제26장 ···························································· 1845
제27장 ···························································· 1849
제28장 ···························································· 1851
제29장 ···························································· 1853
제30장 ···························································· 1855
제31장 ···························································· 1859
제32장 ···························································· 1867
제33장 ···························································· 1871
제34장 ···························································· 1877
제35장 ···························································· 1881
제36장 ···························································· 1883
제37장 ···························································· 1887
제38장 ···························································· 1905

역자후기 ·························································1911

기획의 변

제임스 레게(James Legge, 1815~1897)는 영국 스코틀랜드 출신의 선교사이자 한학자(漢學者)로서 옥스퍼드대학의 교수를 지냈다. 그는 동양의 사서삼경을 해설과 주해와 함께 최초로 영어로 번역하여, 동양철학을 서양에 소개하는 데 크게 공헌했다. 그의 번역은 1800년대 말에 출판된 최초의 영어 출판 본임에도 오늘날까지 여전히 영어권의 표준역본으로 공인되고 있으며, 그의 경전 해설은 동양연구자들이라면 반드시 읽어야할 필독서다. 그래서 그를 단순한 선교사가 아니라 ‘선교사 학자(Missionary- Scholars)’로서의 전범을 세웠다고 존숭하고 있다. 그리고 이 저작을 계기로 서구 중국학은 그 이전과 이후로 나뉜다고 할 정도로 영향력이 지대했다고 평가도 되고 있다. 그럼에도 유가 경전이 그 어느 나라보다 중시되었던 한국에서 제임스 레게의 ‘중국고전’이 그간 번역 출간되지 않고 있었다. 레게의 역주와 해설이 무척 난해하고 복잡하여 국내의 학자들이 접근하기 쉽지 않다는 점을 고려한다 하더라도 우리의 학계의 편협성과 유가경전 연구에 대한 한계를 보여주는 현실임을 인정하지 않을 수 없다.

이러한 인식에 기초해 경성대학교 한국한자연구소에서는 제임스 레게의 “중국경전” 시리즈(The Chinese Classics: with a translation, critical and exegetical notes, prolegomena, and copious indexes)를 번역 출간하기로 기획하고 이름을 “제임스 레게의 사서삼경 번역 및 역주 총서”로 정하였다. 단순한 본문 번역만이 아닌 역주와 해설을 포함한 모두를 완역하고, 영어 원문까지 제공해 대조 가능하게 함으로써, 전문연구자들에게 편의까지 도모하고 국내의 한학 연구의 지평을 넓히고자 한다.

이제 그 첫 번째 결과물로 제임스 레게의 “사서삼경 번역 및 역주 총서”의 제2부인 <맹자>를 독자들에게 먼저 내놓는다. 완역하고 영어원문과 한문을 한국어 번역과 함께 실었다. <맹자>는 본문 3책과 해설 1책으로 되었는데, "양혜왕장구"(상하), "공손추장구"(상하), "등문공장구"(상하)가 제1권에, "이루장구"(상하)와 "만장장구"(상하)가 제2권에, "고자장구"(상하)와 "진심장구"(상하)가 제3권에 나누어 실렸으며, “레게의 <맹자>해설”(근간)이 제4권으로 편성되었다. 맹자>는 본문 3책과 해설 1책으로 되었는데, "양혜왕장구"(상하), "공손추장구"(상하), "등문공장구"(상하)가 제1권에, "이루장구"(상하)와 "만장장구"(상하)가 제2권에, "고자장구"(상하)와 "진심장구"(상하)가 제3권에 나누어 실렸으며, “레게의 <맹자>해설”(근간)이 제4권으로 편성되었다.

우리가 사용한 영어 원본은 1893년 판본(printed at the Clarendon Press, Oxford. Printed at the London missionary society's printing office in Hongkong.)을 사용하였다. 번역은 수고스럽게도 맹자 전문가인 한문학과 박준원 교수와 게일 연구와 영어 번역에 오랜 기간 동안 천착해 온 이진숙 교수께서 맡아주셨다. 노고에 감사드린다. 그리고 이 책의 번역이 기획되고 첫 작품이 나오기까지 제임스 레게 연구의 세계적 대가인 홍콩 침례대학(Hong Kong Baptist University)의 라우렌 피스터(Lauren F. Pfister, 費樂仁) 교수의 도움이 컸다. 이 자리를 감사를 드린다. 비록 이 시도가 한국에서 처음 이루어지는 ‘용감한’ 작업이고 촉박한 시간 탓에 오류도 없지 않을 것으로 생각하지만, 앞으로의 유가경전 연구에 또 하나의 토대를 제공하고 시야를 넓힌다는 점에서 큰 의의를 가질 것이라 생각하며, <논어>를 비롯한 사서와 <시경>, <서경>, <역경>도 순조롭게 출판되기를 기원한다.

우리가 사용한 영어 원본은 1893년 판본(printed at the Clarendon Press, Oxford. Printed at the London missionary society's printing office in Hongkong)을 사용하였다. 번역은 수고스럽게도 맹자 전문가인 한문학과 박준원 교수와 게일 연구와 영어 번역에 오랜 기간 동안 천착해 온 이진숙 교수께서 맡아주셨다. 노고에 감사드린다. 그리고 이 책의 번역이 기획되고 첫 작품이 나오기까지 제임스 레게 연구의 세계적 대가인 홍콩 침례대학(Hong Kong Baptist University)의 라우렌 피스터(Lauren F. Pfister, 費樂仁) 교수의 도움이 컸다. 이 자리를 감사를 드린다. 비록 이 시도가 한국에서 처음 이루어지는 ‘용감한’ 작업이고 촉박한 시간 탓에 오류도 없지 않을 것으로 생각하지만, 앞으로의 유가경전 연구에 또 하나의 토대를 제공하고 시야를 넓힌다는 점에서 큰 의의를 가질 것이라 생각하며, <논어>를 비롯한 사서와 <시경>, <서경>, <역경>도 순조롭게 출판되기를 기원한다.

2021년 1월 25일 경성대학교 한국한자연구소에서 하영삼 씀

제임스 레게 초역의 학술적 의의


<맹자>를 포함한 사서(四書)가 유럽에 소개된 것은 주로 예수회 소속 신부들의 역할이 컸다. 일찍이 마테오리치(Matteo Ricci, 1552~1610)는 선교를 위하여 사서를 라틴어로 번역했었다. 19세기에 들어와서 유교경전의 번역은 스코틀랜드 애버딘 출신 영국 선교사 제임스 레게(James Legge, 1815~1897)에 의해 새로운 전환의 계기가 마련된다.

레게는 대략 1843년경부터 유교의 기본서적인 <논어>, <대학>, <중용>, <맹자>의 번역과 주해에 착수하였고, 후속작업으로 <춘추>, <예기>, <서경>, <역경>, <시경> 등을 잇달아 출간하였다. 레게가 영국과 서방에 소개한 유가경전들은 예상대로 커다란 호응을 일으켰다. 이후 번역자로서의 레게의 명성도 점점 높아져서 애버딘 대학은 그에게 박사학위를 수여하였고, 레게는 여러 차례 파리도 방문하게 되었다. 파리 방문 기간 동안 레게는 프랑스의 저명한 동양학자 줄리앙(Stanislas Aignan Julien, 1797~1873)과 함께 한학(漢學)에 대하여 수준 높은 토론을 진행했다. 이때에 토론을 나누었던 줄리앙의 견해가 이번에 간행된 레게 <맹자> 주석 여러 곳에 자주 인용되고 반영되어 있다.

레게의 후반부 번역과 주해 작업에 많은 도움을 준 중국인 학자 왕도(王韜, 1828~1897)는 1867년 고국으로 돌아가는 레게를 전송하는 <서양 학자 레게의 귀국을 환송하면서[送西儒理雅各回國序]>라는 글에서 그의 업적을 다음과 같이 평가했다.

레게 선생은 붓을 들고 동방에서 유학을 공부해왔고, 자신의 모든 에너지를 십삼경(十三經) 연구에 바쳤다. 그는 경전의 이치에 통달해 있어 그 내용을 고증했고, 근원과 원칙을 탐구하여 자신 만의 독특한 견해를 구축해서, 범속한 사람들의 견해와는 매우 달랐다. 그는 경전을 평론할 때에도 일가의 학설을 주장하지 않고, 유아독존적인 태도로서 하나의 학설을 고집하지 않았다. 그는 저명한 학자의 장점과 정수를 고르게 취하여 하나로 연결시켰고, 공정(孔鄭)의 학문을 기초로 하여 주자(朱子)의 학문을 그 가운데에 조화시켰다. 그는 이렇게 한(漢)나라 때의 유학과 송(宋)나라 때의 주자학 어느 것에도 치우치지 않았다.

왕도는 레게가 일찍부터 <맹자>를 위시한 13경 연구에 전념하여왔음을 칭송하고, 그의 연구방법이 하나의 학설만을 고집하는 유아독존적인 접근이 아니라, 여러 학자들의 견해를 두루 반영하는 절충적 방법론을 취하고 있다고 보고 있다.

왕도의 언급대로 레게의 <맹자>의 번역에는 한나라 학자들의 견해뿐만 아니라, 송나라 주자의 대표적 해설서인 <맹자집주>와 여러 성리학자들의 견해를 상당부분 인용하여 수용하고 있다. 주자의 <맹자집주>가 이미 <맹자> 해석에서 상당한 권위를 갖고 있었기 때문에, 이것은 당연하고 자연스러운 현상이다. 따라서 이전부터 레게의 <맹자> 번역은 전반적으로 주자의 견해를 수용한 편이라는 학계의 세평(世評)이 있어 왔고, <맹자집주>의 인용빈도로 볼 때 이것은 어느 정도 사실과 부합한다.

그러나 레게는 왕도의 평가처럼 <맹자>의 번역과 함께 수록된 방대한 분량의 각주를 통해 자신이 입수할 수 있는 모든 자료와 인맥을 총동원하여 다양한 견해를 폭넓게 반영하고 있다. 그는 중국역대와 당대의 수많은 경학연구가들을 참고했을 뿐만 아니라, 철저한 번역을 위해 각종 서적과 지명, 의상, 수치 등에 대한 분석과 고증을 시도했고, 심지어는 식물학자들의 견해까지 동원하고 있다. 이처럼 다양하고 엄청난 분량의 각주 때문에 번역 페이지 수가 늘어나고 출간시기가 상당기간 지체되기도 하였으나, 사실 레게 <맹자> 역주의 백미는 바로 이 풍성한 각주의 존재라고 할 수 있다. <맹자> 전반에 대한 상세하고 흥미로운 모든 정보가 이 안에 녹아들어있기 때문이다.

레게는 정확하고 분명한 번역을 위하여 이러한 노고를 아끼지 않았다. 그 결과 뜻밖에도 본래의 <맹자> 한문원문에서는 난해해보였던 내용들이 레게 <맹자> 역문에서는 이해하기 쉬운 편안하고 간결한 새로운 이미지로 독자들에게 전해지는 효과가 곳곳에서 나타나고 있다. 상세한 각주를 통한 전달성이 강한 평이한 원문해석 방식, 이것이 바로 레게가 추구한 <맹자> 번역 전략인 것 같다.

그 중에서도 역자들과 기획자의 주목을 끌게 한 것은 레게의 <맹자> 진심(盡心) 하 제16장의 각주이다. 이 각주를 통해서 우리는 당시 중국에서 유통되는 <맹자>의 판본과 내용이 다른 우리나라(Corea)만의 판본이 따로 존재했다는 사실을 알게 된 것이다. (16장 원문 및 각주 참고)

주자의 <맹자집주>에서는 정자(程子)의 말을 인용하여 “或曰, 外國本, 人也之下, 有義也者 宜也. 禮也者 履也, 智也者 知也, 信也者 實也. 凡二十字.(어떤 사람이 말했다. ‘외국의 판본에 인야(人也) 아래에 의(義)는 마땅한 것이고, 예(禮)는 실천하는 것이고, 지(智)는 아는 것이고, 신(信)은 진실한 것이다’라는 구절이 있는데 모두 20자이다.)”라고 보충해서 설명하였다.

레게는 정자가 말한 이 20개의 글자가 추가로 기록되어 있는 ‘외국본(外國本)’이 바로 한국(Corea)에서 발견된 <맹자> 판본이라고 확정한 것이다. 그리고 이어서 한국에서 발견된 판본에 의하면, 이 부분의 해석이 ‘(20자가) 모두 합해지고 명명된 이것들은 이성의 길이다’라는 의미로 확장될 수 있다고 했다. 한국의 <맹자> 판본의 추가된 내용에 의해서 번역의 의미 확장이 이루어진 것이다.

레게의 철저한 분석과 검증 태도에 비추어 본다면, 그는 아마도 당시에 중국에서 유통되던 한국의 <맹자> 판본을 직접 확인했을 것으로 추측된다. 이러한 그의 한국판 <맹자>에 대한 확증작업은 동북아시아에서 <맹자>의 유통과정에 대한 서지적 연구를 진행하는 데에 매우 중요한 자료로 활용될 가능성이 크다.

또한 이미 잘 알려진 것처럼 레게가 겉으로 표방한 <맹자> 영역의 목적은, 중국에 선교하기 위해서는 유교의 힘을 알아야 하고, 유교의 경전에 대한 이해가 필수적이라는 사실을 절감했기 때문이었다. 그러나 레게는 <맹자> 역주의 곳곳에서 선교사라는 위치에서 자신만이 갖게 되는 독특한 견해를 주장하고 있다. 천주교 신부의 위치에서 결코 포기할 수 없는 유일신의 존재를 <맹자>의 번역에 반영하고 있는 것이다. 가령 레게는 <맹자> 진심(盡心) 하 제25장 제8절의 번역과 각주를 보면, 레게는 하나님의 영역에 속하는 ‘신성한(divine)’이라는 용어를 함부로 사용한 중국 작가들의 번역을 용납할 수 없는 번역이라고 지적하고 있다. 이러한 관점은 유일신인 하나님의 개념과 존재를 부정하는 것으로, 그가 수용할 수 없는 것이었다. 그는 중국인들의 문화를 이해하고 포교를 위하여 자신이 직접 <맹자>의 번역에 나서고 있었지만, 선교사로서 자신이 신봉하는 종교의 절대적 개념인 ‘신성한’ 유일신의 존재 자체를 부정할 수는 없었던 것이다. 이러한 관점은 레게 <맹자>의 번역과정에서 철저하게 지켜지는 부동의 원칙이었고, 레게 <맹자> 번역의 더 이상 물러설 수 없는 마지노선이었다.

그렇다면 레게의 <맹자> 번역 역주 출간이 갖는 학술사적 의의는 무엇일까? 이를 간략히 요약해보면 아마도 다음과 같은 결론이 나오지 않을까 싶다.

우선 이번 번역은 국내에서 아직까지 시도된 적이 없는 ‘초역’이라는 점에서 매우 중요한 의의를 가진다. 레게 <맹자> 번역의 온전한 실체가 학계에 제시된 것이다. 이번에 기획된 레게의 <맹자> 역주를 통해서, 기존의 <맹자> 해석서와 레게의 <맹자> 해석에 담긴 독특한 사유와 언어체계의 차이를 분석할 수 있는 가능성이 열렸다. 이제 우리는 기존의 성리학적 세계관에서 창출된 텍스트가 레게의 기독교적 사유체계로 어떻게 변환되어 해석되고 있는 지를 파악할 수 있을 것이다.

또한 레게가 번역한 맹자의 핵심적인 한자용어들이(性善, 仁義, 民本, 王道-覇道, 君子-小人, 浩然之氣 등) 어떠한 의미의 당시 영어용어로 구사되어서 서구의 의미망으로 스펙트럼처럼 전파되고 있는 지를 연구할 길이 열린 셈이다. 앞으로 레게의 <맹자> 역주에 관한 다양한 연구 성과들이 양산되기를 기대해본다.

항상 역자들을 독려하며 출간을 총괄 기획해 주신 한국한자연구소 하영삼 소장께도 감사의 뜻을 전한다.

2021년 1월 20일 후학 박준원은 삼가 쓰다.