The Bible Translator: Volume 19, Issue 4

Section headings in Bible Society editions of the Scriptures replace at least three different patterns which are still followed in some Bible Society publications: no headings at all, headings at the top of each page, or a brief summary of the contents of each chapter placed at the beginning of the chapter. They are included to help the reader: the one who may know the exact location of a passage or the person unfamiliar with the Bible. These help to divide the text in manageable sections which are large enough to be meaningful but small enough to be assimilated. The problem arises in using the English model which may have ambiguous prepositions or nouns, overcondensed meanings, or passives which may be non-existent in another language. Section headings must be as universal as possible so that they can be translatable in the most meaningful way. View Less

There are four types of passive forms in Greek which lack an agent either expressed or clearly implied: (1) deponent verbs; (2) true reflexive verbs; (3) those which refer to a present state or situation, brought about by a personal agent in the past, but where the actual agent is forgotten; and (4) those whose active or middle forms represent the activity of a personal agent but whose passive represents a process or a condition which may occur with or without a personal agent. In some cases the ambiguity can be cleared up by supplying the agent and as a rule there is no difficulty in supplying an agent from the context. View Less

The Bible Societies insist that the translations they publish aim at maximum fidelity. But being in favor of faithful translations does not guarantee that one is able to recognize them or produce them. Faithfulness in translation is often confused with clarity or elegance of style or with renderings that support theological emphases that the critic himself holds. Discusses two articles by John B. Carroll, a psychologist with experience in testing language behavior. The translator himself must understand the relationship between the source and target documents that he wants to maintain and thus he is in a better position to evaluate his own work and that of his associates consistently. View Less

The purpose of Bible translating has often been to translate the Bible into the receptor language the message of the original so as to produce an effect upon the readers of the translation like that produced from the first readers of the message in the source language. But what is the original language and how can we best use the language of today to produce the desired result of Christian faith and nurture in the Christian life? The question involves both the original text, the original exegesis, and the problem of making the message modern. View Less

Although the Wurttemberg Bible Society has had definite help from Today’s English Version, it had a special purpose in mind when it decided upon the German translation. To most German readers the Bible is unfamiliar because most of them still receive it in Luther’s terminology. The basic requirement has been “Einfaches Deutsch” with no theological overtones or special church language. This NT has received such approval that WBS intends to produce a revision in 1970. View Less