The Bible Translator: Volume 29, Issue 4

Good News in Paper is a selection from the Good News Bible edited for children. Four principal changes were made in the text: (1) adjustments to the text, including beginning material and bridge material; (2) participants in the story; (3) keeping the reference clear, so the reader will not be confused by persons, places and events; and (4) making the structure simple, by the use of third person imperative, speaker and quotation, statements in brackets, direct and indirect speech, picture language, noun and verb interchange, changes in pronouns and simplifying of technical terms. View Less

There are 3 OT calendar systems, the Canaanite system, the numbering system and the Babylonian system. These systems clash with the system used in a number of Bantu languages, and 3 ways have been used to try to solve this conflict: (1) a literal translation with a footnote or glossary note to explain the meaning; (2) a translation of the meaning; and (3) retention of the Hebrew numbering system but with a “classifier” that is a signal that the biblical system does not correspond with ones own. View Less

Mark used the word euthus 42 times. Does it really mean “immediately"? And if not, what does it mean? By looking at the ways Mark uses the word one might conclude that each case must be decided on its literary merits, but the general guideline is, do I really have to translate this word “immediately” here? Borderline cases might be decided by examining how Matthew and Luke understood the word. View Less

The difficulty of translating and understanding faith in the NT is caused by: (1) it has many possible meanings; (2) it is not always easy to determine the goal of faith, and so it is best to express the goal, trust in Jesus or God or either, and (3) it is difficult to find a right word to translate “faith” in other languages. View Less

The division of a psalm into meaningful sections (strophes) should show the structure of the Psalm, but there is rarely agreement about the sectioning in modern translations. The strophes ought to help with the meaning and unity of the Psalm. Certain rules may regulate a new strophe: (1) when a speaker changes; (2) when a subject changes; (3) when a change in the mode of address occurs. View Less

A study of themes in the book of James suggests a unified structure to the book, though many commentators feel it is unsystematic. The central theme is “The Testing of Faith,” and the major sub-theme which is repeated 3 times in the book is testing and patient endurance. Various secondary themes are introduced in the middle section of the book. View Less

A defense of the policy of the United Bible Societies for their practice of preparing Bible selections: (1) Why are we using selections? (2) What is a selection? (3) What do we do to the Bible when using selections? (4) Where should a selection be used? and (5) For whom is the selection? View Less

There is a question that faces translators, how far can they go in changing the biblical form in order to achieve a clear translation? By examining some of the work of the Indonesian OT translation project concludes that as long as translators are faithful to the meaning of the text, restructuring ought to be as extensive as necessary to help readers understand and appreciate a passage. View Less

Poor translations frequently result when translators do not master both languages. In such cases the more prestigious language is likely to interfere with the other. Some examples are taken from a Shona translation which show grammatical borrowing from English and changes in meaning due to the influence of English. View Less

Discusses the meaning and implication of mallon (greater or rather) in Phil. 1:12 as it is translated in the NASV. The text has the meaning of a contra-expectation: “what has happened to me has turned out for, rather than against, the advance of the good news” (New Berkeley Version). View Less