中國古代佛經的翻譯活動綿延上千年之久，在口譯筆授的集體合譯與權力的運作下，究竟呈現出何種的差異與變化？本文擬以《心經》的十五種漢譯本為研究材料，從翻譯理論的視角出發，觀察其譯語間的差異與敘事結構的變化，進而檢視翻譯忠於原文的可能性。翻譯的活動確實錯綜複雜，字詞的取捨間透發著權力的競賽與意識型態的偏向。經由翻譯的媒介，新的思想與文化融入舊有的文化之中，或取代或相互排斥，或歸化或異域化而帶動新的思潮，為原文化注入新的生命力。翻譯因差異而存在，文化的身分與生命經由翻譯不斷地更新變化，在翻譯家不斷地越界奪取、吸收與詮釋改寫下，或認同或模仿或創造新的意義文本，使得原文的生命因翻譯而孕生不斷。

The translation activity of Buddhist scripture has continuously flourished in ancient China for over a thousand years. Do the translated texts show any differences from the original texts since the translation activity, either orally or writtenly, occurs under the manipulation of power? This papaer studies 15 versions of Chinese translated Heart Sutra from the perspective of translation theory. It observes the linguistic differences and changes in its narrative structure and furthermore, examines the possibilities of being faithful to the original text. The translation activity is truly intriguing and complex; the choice of dictions reveals power struggle or ideological bias. Via the medium of translation, new thoughts and cultures integrate with the old ones, adding vitality to the original cultures through the process of substitution, domestication or foreignization. Differences exist in translation. By translation, the life and identity of a culture are constantly renewed. By the efforts of translators, such as absorbing, rewriting or reinterpreting the source text, the original text is also created anew, unceasingly reborn into an eternal life of its own.