[B-Greek] translation strategies
Michael Aubrey
mga318 at yahoo.com
Wed Jun 24 16:52:34 EDT 2009
But we're not talking about translation here. Yes translators are interpreters. Yes, it is helpful for translators to describe what they see in Greek. But that doesn't make all of the categories in GGBB grammar. The categories aren't grammar. They're interpretive labels that say little to nothing abut the actual structure of the Greek language.
________________________________
From: Eddie Mishoe <edmishoe at yahoo.com>
To: B Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 1:36:03 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] translation strategies
I have spoken out in opposition to this, and feel compelled to continue saying why I think translation strategies are the key to explaining the GNT, no -- the only way to explain the GNT.
Translation strategies are when the translator brings the original language concept into the target language. The concept being explained is EXCLUSIVELY that found in the original language.
It is sheer nonsense to continue to gripe about translation strategies as if they are somehow using the target language to explain a target language concept. Idioms create their own set of challenges, but for the rest of the text, the most effective way (no -- the only way) to translate the meaning and nuance from the original language to the target language is by translation strategy.
Translators are interpreters. Interpreters translate in the target language the concept being discussed in the original language. The many, many Genitive categories and sub-categories we find in GGBB is only the tip of the iceberg of the many ways a Genitive can function. If we included the Hellenistic literature, we would need to add a couple hundred more; this is what the concept of "nuance" means. If one were to give the nuances of the English word "in" to a Greek reader, that Greek reader would have to learn more than 100 usages of this "simple" preposition. Other words are even worse. The point is, each of the 100+ usages of "in" have a separate grammatical categories and sub-categories.
Using this "purpose adnominal genitive" is an attempt to convey the GREEK concept behind the GREEK structure to ENGLISH readers. We may need a much larger literary corpus to analyze the legitimacy of this "purpose adnominal genitive." However, until that is undertaken, we have to continue following hunches.
One could argue that the sole function of a translator is to use translation strategies to convey the meaning and nuances of the original language into the target language.
Eddie Mishoe
Pastor
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