This may be of interest to some members of b-Greek.
At the recent Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Orlando the
National Council of the Churches of Christ had its usual breakfast
meeting for seminary professors interested in Bible translation. Two
items will be of interest:
1. There is ongoing interest in correcting and improving translations
in the NRSV. As part of that process the NCC will be hosting two
consultations. In 1999 a consultation on "Race, Gender, Class and
Biblical Translation." In 2000 a consultation on "Religious Traditions,
Ecclesiastical Authority and Biblical Translation." It is an attempt to
"pick the brains of the exegetical guild" about these matters.
They also announced that Oxford University Press is preparing what they
call the ACCESS BIBLE, an edition for neophyte Bible readers; it will
include maps, charts, definitions, comments designed with the reader
who is ignorant of the biblical tradition. I think that this is a very
promising development. Oxford also gave those attending who filled out
a questionnaire about this plan a copy of the Apocrypha that has the
Greek text and 7 English translations. While the type is small, it
makes comparison of the translations easy and fruitful.
2. More challenging--and disheartening--was the major presentation by
Bruce M. Metzger on "Preparing the Next Generation of Translators."
It was quite a Jeremiad. He began with Hanson and Heath's Who
Killed Homer, a recent attack on the mores of classicists.
That led him to give statistics about the decline of Greek in HS and
University teaching. The University of Aberdeen abolished the classics
departments under Margaret Thatcher. The University of Saskatchewam
[spelling?] is doing it at the present time.
Then he asked, "How can we stem the decline? And how prepare the next
generation of translators?" Where is textual criticism being taught?
And who knows any languages other than Greek needed for TC?
Years ago, when the RSV was done, the director of the translation team
had learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew in HS! Translation of the NT
demands scholars who know the spread of the Greek language from Homer
on! [That is Metzger talking, not Ed Krentz--though I share his
opinion!] We need enthusiasm for learning the language, but where can
such translators be prepared?
In the discussion I noted that we needed to identify classicists who
are also committed Christians. I mentioned Herbert Howe, Episcopalian
who teaches [or taught] at the University of Wisconsin, Roger Bagnall,
Lutheran at Columbia University and premier papyrologist, Carl Conrad,
etc. Classicists are recovering the reading of the NT in Greek as part
of the early Roman Empire's history and culture.
Carl Conrad has cited the Italian proverb on this list, "Traditore
tradutore," Translators are traitors. That is complicated a great deal
when the translators do not know the original language well--and are
also not sensitive to the target language. I learn that over again each
week as I read with seminary students next Sunday's NT lessons from the
three year lectionary cycle in Greek and translate.
I will be interested in reactions from the list members to Metzger's
remarks (recovered from my sketchy notes] and my own interpretive
editorial comments.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Edgar Krentz
Acting Dean, Fall Quarter 1998
Professor of New Testament Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615 USA
773-256-0752
e-mail:FFFF,0000,0000 ekrentz@lstc.edu
(Office)
FFFF,0000,0000emkrentz@mcs.com
(Home)
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