[b-greek] Re: Grammars, Who Needs them?

From: Randall Buth (ButhFam@compuserve.com)
Date: Sun May 20 2001 - 08:26:04 EDT


Harry W. Jones
>I think a good example of the use of
grammatical analysis is my post of Phil.2:10. KAMYH is in the
subjunctive mood and therefore should be translated as, "should bow"
and not "will bow".<

Actually, 'subjunctive' is a feature of Greek, not English.
Translation is according to the dictates and style of the receptor
language.

In Greek INA properly demands the subjunctive verb even when the purpose or

result is viewed as certain or virtually certain.
In English, "should" explicitly refrains from expressing certainty,
while "will" explicitly expresses certainty.
Thus, there is a mismatch in corrollaries/inferences to the two languages
and a translator must
take that into account. Which is why you find proverbs like
"To translate literally is to lie".
Or the common advice that people who love a literature
need to read it in the original.

blessings,
Randall Buth
Jerusalem

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