Translation 101 - Idea Transfer
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly ; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." - Joseph Smith, 8th Article of Faith
The practical ramifications of this principle are obvious. If the Book of Mormon says one thing, and the NIV New Testament says something contradictory, then we can simply assume that the NIV translation is off track. Then we can maintain our belief that both books were given by God. Language scholars, both believing and unbelieving, see translation as a much more "do-able" prospect than tends to be the case with Latter-Day Saints. Let's take a look at the process of translation.
................... Different languages, same ideas A language is nothing more than a system of symbolizing ideas and thoughts. If a person is fluent in a language, then he can express his ideas in that language. Of course, he can also understand the expressed ideas of others. If this were not true, God's gift of speech and writing would be useless. The same basic ideas of "sleep," of "love," and of "open" or "closed" exist in the minds of virtually all people, regardless of their mother language. Different languages symbolize these ideas in different ways, with their own vocabulary. However, the ideas are the same across languages. Two languages will have different words for "sleep," but they both will have words that mean "sleep." The words will not look the same, but they will have equivalent meaning. When a person in France spreads marmalade on toast, he will use a different "symbol" (or word) when thinking of his toast than someone in Peru will. But both persons will have the same thoughts in their minds. The same things that make (effective) speech possible, make (effective) translation possible! ................. Expressing ideas: a mystery uncloaked Proceeding from there, we can ask: if a bilingual scholar can express his thoughts in his "mother tongue," why couldn't he express the same thoughts in his second language, if he knew it as well as his first language? If he can understand Francois in one language, why can't he understand Mario in another language? If a bilingual person can express the thought, "Too much marmalade," in French, why couldn't he express the same thought in Spanish? The answer is that he can, as long as he knows both languages well. Speech is the process of transferring ideas from one human mind to another. Translation is simply the process of transferring ideas from one system (language) to another. When we look at it this way, it loses a lot of its mystery. ............................. Theory and Practice Consider John 11:35, "Jesus wept." It contains three ideas: a specific person, the act of crying, and the past tense. Any method we successfully use, to convey these three ideas, will be effective speech. It won't matter whether it's pictures like in Charades, or English, or Koine Greek, or what. The question is whether those three ideas are transferred from one human mind into another. Words are the wheelbarrows that carry those ideas between minds. They're not mysterious. They're simple tools. Do you understand John 11:35? If you knew Spanish, could you express it in Spanish? Of course you could. This is a simple example, but the point is the same for any passage. Thumb through your Bible and imagine translating different verses. You will gain a feel for the fact that the ideas in it can be expressed -- accurately! -- in ANY language. Hypothetical arguments sound good in theory. However, in the harsh winds of specific, practical application, they collapse. Translation isn't mysterious, and unbelieving scholars don't take issue with the accuracy of Bible translations. They take issue with other things. Kind regards, Jeff ................... Image source: http://aramaicdesigns.rogueleaf.com/quote/img/TranslationSplashBig.jpg
