[b-greek] Fw: Hendiadys and spoon feeding

From: Wayne Leman (Wayne_Leman@SIL.ORG)
Date: Mon Jul 30 2001 - 20:18:44 EDT


----- Original Message -----
From: "ross purdy" <rossjpurdy@hotmail.com>


>
> But Wayne, from what I have understood of your translation philosophy, it
> seems that you do not expect the reader to do anything more than read the
> text alone without any helps, not even marginal notes. Is that not true?

No. If you have followed my messages on the B-Trans discussion list you will
have often heard me say that there is an important role for footnotes and
marginal notes in Bible translations.

>
>
> >I only believe that translators should do the work that
> >translators should do, and that is translate *only* the meaning intended
by
> >the original authors
>
> But if the translator fails to ascertain the correct meaning and then
uses
> words and idioms which do not match the text in order to convey the
> incorrect meaning, is there not a far greater danger of distancing the
> reader from the original's meaning. It seems that at least with a formal
> translation offers recourse to track down the correct meaning given such
> helps are available.

Yes, there is this possibility with an FE translation. But we have to
balance this against the results of field testing which demonstrate that
readers often do not get the right meanings from FE translations (some
results are posted on charts on my Bible Translation website). So if I were
to have to choose between a meaning-based translation from which readers get
the right meaning and and FE translation from which they get the wrong
meaning, the choice for me is going to be the translation that gives the
right meaning.

> Even if such helps are not available, it seems
> preferable to leave an ambiguous or un-understood rendering in place
rather
> than a wrong or misunderstood one.

Ambiguity is usually in the analyst's mind, not in the original text. There
are very few intended ambiguous passages in the biblical texts.

> That which is a mystery

But what was never meant to be a mystery should not be translated as a
mystery. True accuracy in translation requires us to translate what the
original authors intended.

> at least sparks
> the curiosity to engage in a search for the truth, rather than send one
> headlong in the wrong direction.

I've done field testing with FE and meaning-based translations. The M-B
translations win every time, both for accuracy and clarity.

> I have a hard time believing any translator
> can properly understand and know all the meaning.

So do I and I have never suggested it.

> I think the complaint
> that is often heard of non-formal translations being useless for study
> purposes has something to do with what I am saying.

I'd want to uncover what people really mean when they say that.

>
>
> You are of course right, but I was only reacting? to your comments, which
I
> think is merely a bait and hook for getting people on the B-trans list:)
> That is really sneaky;)

Ross, that's not fair of you to suggest that. My motive was truly only to
keep from b-greek what the list moderators have asked us to keep from this
list. We have been told in the past here that extensive discussion about
translation theory do not belong on b-greek. The moderators themselves have
suggested that those interested in such discussions should either carry them
on via private email or go to a list, such as the BT list where such
discussions are the focus of the list. I'm not trying to get you to come to
the BT list. But I am trying to avoid discussion matters on b-greek which we
have been told should not be discussed here.

Wayne
---
Wayne Leman



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