《不如歸》是日本作家德富蘆花（1868-1927）的成名作，也是 明治時期最暢銷的通俗小說，出版後隨即被譯為各國語言，風行全 世界。《不如歸》的首次中譯是由近代著名翻譯家林紓（1852-1924） 和魏易（1880-1932）合作，以鹽谷榮的英譯為底本重譯，於1908 年 出版後即引起熱潮，其後一個多世紀陸續出現各種中譯本，足見此 書廣受大眾歡迎，歷久不衰。 夫妻情愛與家國意識是《不如歸》的兩大主題，書中描寫一個 家庭的悲劇，並夾敘甲午海戰的場景，對於傳統家庭對夫妻情愛的 壓迫提出血淚控訴，並以家國大愛作為情場失意者最後的寄託，其 內容不僅跟漢樂府〈孔雀東南飛〉屬於同類故事的主題變奏，在人 物心理刻畫方面也顯示出托爾斯泰小說的影響。《不如歸》對清末讀 者的吸引力，主要在於其感人的情境氛圍，以及對親子、婆媳問題 之揭露，但林紓卻迴避這個詮釋角度，轉而注意此書對甲午海戰的 寫實敘述及其標誌國恥的教育意義，他藉著大量的譯註批評清軍的 戰略缺失，並為閩人水師雪冤。此外，林譯《不如歸》特殊的情感 想像方式更影響了民初「言情╱愛國小說」的出現， 並催生了一種 「以殉國為殉情」的新式英雄人物。《不如歸》的作者、譯者、讀者 三方之間的複雜權力關係與互相規避拒斥，使得它成為清末翻譯文 學史上的重要案例。

Nami-ko (1898-1899) by the Japanese writer Tokutomi Roka (1868-1927) was extremely popular during Meiji Japan and was translated into numerous languages. The first Chinese translation of this sentimental melodrama was rendered in 1908 by Lin Shu (1852-1924) and his interpreter Wei Yi (1880-1932), and this Chinese version was an immediate success in the literary market. The major theme of Nami-ko is the conflict between conjugal affection and the feudal family. Although Tokutomi condemns the feudal family which destroys the romantic love between husband and wife, he takes the motherland to be the refuge of heartbroken lovers. This peculiar way of combining sentimental and patriotic elements created a new type of romantic hero and influenced many future “sentimental/patriotic” novels in modern China. The foremost attraction of Nami-ko to late Qing readers was its depiction of conjugal love and problems between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law; however, Lin purposely ignored this side of the story, for the reason that he chose to translate this novel based on his patriotic feelings. In Nami-ko, Tokutomi describes the Sino-Japanese War (1894) in detail, thus providing Lin with a wonderful opportunity to comment on the fiasco of the Qing navy and clear his Fujian soldiers’ reputation. Interestingly, Lin argued that this melodrama, though written by a Japanese writer, could help prove the Chinese soldiers’ bravery. Taking full advantage of his translator status, Lin promoted his ideas of military tactics and criticized the problems of the Qing government in his commentary in the translation. The complex interaction and contradiction between author intention, translator strategy, and reader response have made Lin Shu’s translation of Nami-ko an intriguing and illuminating case for the study of late Qing literary translation history.