The Bible Translator: Volume 29, Issue 3

Some practical suggestions of ways translators can apply linguistic theory in learning language structure and features of discourse. The basic idea concerns the unit of translation and gives examples from West African languages, particularly Wolof. Offers suggestions for help in structuring workshops to help solve the language problems. View Less

A brief discussion of the historical impetus lying behind 3 early translations of the Bible: the Syriac, Egyptian, and Latin translations. Notes several less widely known versions: Gothic, Armenian, Slavonic. View Less

The 1876 Russian Bible is the only Russian biblical text officially accepted by the leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church. A brief description of some special features of this text leads to the conclusion that it is no more than an unsuccessful stage in the still unfinished process of making a national Bible translation for Russian-speaking believers. View Less

Do Hebrew narratives follow a strict chronological sequence in such a way that languages without the developed syntactical devices of Indo-European can easily translate them? Examines 2 narrative passages to answer this question: the ark narrative of 1 Sam 4–6 and sequential narration. Observes some of the variety of syntactical forms. View Less

An analysis of the pericope, 1 John 1:1–4, is used to illustrate how it is possible to reach a better understanding of a text by combining traditional exegetical methods with the analytical methods used by Eugene Nida and his colleagues. The conclusion is that this better understanding will also lead to a better translation. View Less

An examination and brief analysis of certain passages from the Good New Bible, comparing the passages with the RSV and the Living Bible. The passages are: Rom 3:21–25, Gen 11:2, certain Proverbs and certain verses from the Psalms. The conclusions are favorable to the GNB, with 2 cautions about using the translation as a work from which to do local translations: the use of the passive is awkward in South Indian languages and the secularized homely style is not a good pattern for India. View Less

A critique of 3 suggested translations of Matthew from an article in TBT, 1977, 28(3):312–326 with the caution that dynamic equivalent translation must not replace what the Greek text says by what we think it ought to have meant. View Less