Translating accurately is really f*&%$ing hard!

by TTWSYF 23 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  TTWSYF

  I wanted to relay an example that I heard about translating difficulties. Take the 5 word phrase

  "I didn't eat your sandwich"

  Seems easy enough, but what if you emphasize different words, doesn't that change the translation?

  How about emphasizing the "I"?

  "I didn't eat your sandwich" may indicate that I did not, but someone else may have.

  "I didn't EAT your sandwich" may indicate that I didn't eat it, but I did something else to it.

  "I didn't eat YOUR sandwich" may indicate that I didn't eat your sandwich, but I may have eaten someone elses.

  'i didn't eat your SANDWICH'' may indicate that I didn't eat your sandwich, but I may have eaten something else of yours.

  Now, what would be easier to mess translation up? These 5 simple words or the bible?

  TTWSYF
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  truth_b_known

  What you are referring to is the fact that 93% of human communication is non-verbal. Gestures, facial expression, voice stress, etc. all have more to do with communication between people than the actual words used.

  A better example is one my college Spanish professor gave to my class -

  My professor was at a restaurant with a student whose first language is Spanish, but was learning English. The student asked the waiter for a chicken sandwich. The waiter replied, "I'm sorry. We have run out of chicken."

  The student envisioned a giant in the kitchen with the kitchen staff running out from inside the chicken.
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  BluesBrother

  Is this why the literature is so dumbed down and written in schoolboy english these days? ... They are so keen on translating for under- developed communities, and using local translators who are certainly not academics .

  They have to 'Keep it simple, Stupid!"
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  Muddy Waters

  Great points!!!! Love this.

  I remember reading a site which criticized the New World Translation, and one scholar said something like: "... this [result] is what happens when you translate using a dictionary (versus having an understanding of the language)!" *

  Hopefully I have the link somewhere with the scholar's name ..... he was very critical of the NWT. I loved his review, lol. Will post back if I find it.

  Stupid WT, believing they have produced the best Bible ever.

  ...

  * But as your post makes perfectly clear, knowing the language is not enough. Context is so important!
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  smiddy3

  And how many Bible Dictionaries ,Commentaries,Theologian discussions,Thesis,Translators of Hebrew Greek ancient and modern ,linguists ,etc ,etc.will it take to come to an acceptably accurate translation of the Bible ?

  Never.

  And if after 2000 years GOD has not joined the discussion ,I don`t think I will bother either.
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  Half banana

  And while translating something as accurately as possible at the nuts and bolts level, it would be very easy to overlook such things as allegory, irony, spoof etc, let alone determining whether the matter is truthful or mere propaganda.

  The world has moved on since the Bible was put together. Nevertheless it remains an iconic collection of literary texts but we now have an infinitely better understanding of the world than they did in the fourth century.

  The Bible has long been superceded by scientifically tested reality. It's time it went into retirement.
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  Drearyweather

  A good translator does not translate words and phrases, rather he conveys thoughts and ideas behind the phrase in the target language taking into consideration the context in which the sentence is written.

  If the context is not provided or not available, then the translator has the freedom to translate the sentence that would be best understood in the target language.

  "I didn't eat your sandwich" - If this phrase is a part of a conversation or a story, the translator will take into context the entire conversation while translating.

  "I didn't eat your sandwich" - If this is just a slogan, punch line or a tag line with no context whatsoever, the translator will translate it the best way in which it can be understood in the target language.
  
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  TTWSYF

  A better example is one my college Spanish professor gave to my class -

  My professor was at a restaurant with a student whose first language is Spanish, but was learning English. The student asked the waiter for a chicken sandwich. The waiter replied, "I'm sorry. We have run out of chicken."

  The student envisioned a giant in the kitchen with the kitchen staff running out from inside the chicken

  Seems like a typical WTS translation
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  Iown Mylife

  A group of schoolteachers had a party for a returning colleague who taught Spanish. They had a banner made up to say Welcome Back, but in Spanish.

  The teacher walked in, saw the banner and asked, What does Welcome Spine mean?!
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  compound complex

  In class, on Monday, I will bring up differences in like (similar) words. Not all synonyms can be readily interchanged.

  "These cookies are delicious, not dried out and hard like Mother's. They are so damp!"

  Well, you have a choice:

  wet

  damp

  humid

  moist