[B-Greek] How literal to render
Dr. Don Wilkins
drdwilkins at sbcglobal.net
Tue Nov 30 15:17:58 EST 2004
On Tuesday, November 30, 2004, at 08:32 AM, Minton, Ron wrote:
> This may be a little off topic, but how literal should we try to render
> Greek grammar? I often struggle with literal or functional when
> working in
> the GNT. I am also trying to evaluate how English Bible translators
> have
> done the same. I have listed below my analysis.
>
> Please examine this list (arranged from most to least literal) and let
> me
> know what changes you would make in my evaluations.
>
> What do you feel is the best category to aim for in an English
> translation?
> Thanks,
> Ron Minton
>
It probably depends on the goals and target audience for the
translation. For the NASB, we work on a balance between literalness and
readability, leaning toward the former, because the NASB is meant to be
a translation that can be studied in depth as well as read. My personal
goal for such a work is a translation which, if back-translated into
Greek (or Hebrew), would usually be close or virtually identical to the
original. On the other side of the spectrum, readability would be a
crucial priority for some translations, intended for various audiences
whose reading abilities are limited, or who are unlikely to read any
Bible unless the language is at the level of a novel or newspaper. At
the extremity of the spectrum you could have a Bible for younger
children, with a limited vocabulary and elementary syntax.
Don Wilkins
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list