Translation 102 - Fidelity in Translation

On the subject of fidelity in translation, John Beekman* writes,

A proper translation conveys to the reader or hearer the information that the original conveyed to the reader of hearers...

(1) the translation makes a natural use of the linguistic structures of the receptor language and...

(2) the recipients of the translation understand the message with ease.

In other words, a translator must be able to do two things: first he must be able to accurately understand ideas expressed in a given language -- as 5-year-olds born in that culture can -- and second, he must be able to accurately express these ideas in another language.

Beekman also says,

The question of fidelity thus comes down to the two questions:

(1) Does the translation communicate the same meaning as the original?

(2) Does it communicate it as clearly and as idiomatically as the original did?

If the answer to these questions is "yes," then it has every right to be called a faithful translation.

So we see that if a translator does these things, the translation itself is accurate.

When a skeptic claims that the Bible cannot be translated, he must claim either that the Bible can't be understood, or that the Bible can't be expressed in any language other than the original. Neither position is reasonable.

.................

Understanding the Bible

There are those who will try to trivialize the argument by claiming that the Bible cannot be understood in its original languages, even by scholars in those languages.

The Bible itself disagrees. The Scriptures teach that God gave us an understandable Bible:

Eph 3:1  For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Eph 3:2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

2Ti 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

But also, we can simply think about it: why would God give us a Bible if He knew that we wouldn't be able to understand it? If God intended to give His will to man, certainly He was capable of making it clear. He did!

..............

Communicating Scripture

Once a translator understands the Bible, all that is left is to express it in the "receptor" language, the one it will be translated into.

Skeptics might again object, "but men can't express themselves accurately." This is not true. The ideas of the Bible were expressed accurately in Greek and in Hebrew! Greek and Hebrew were not "magic" languages. if they could accommodate the Bible, then so can other languages.

This type of critic is the same kind who will argue that they don't know what you mean when you say, "It's raining today," or "look out behind you."

He might argue with you all day, but when the right time comes, he will contradict himself ... when he asks you to pass the butter. When he does, feel free to tell him you don't know what he means. :- )

Regards,

Jeff

.......................

*John Beekman (and John Callow), "Translating the Word of God," p. 33. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974.

Beekman and Callow are virtually unsurpassed in their experience in translating the Bible into various primitive languages among Indians in Mexico, and African tribes in Ghana. Their work "Translating the Word of God" is an authoritative work on translation.