[B-Greek] Translation Considerations checklist: Suggestions?

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed May 5 00:38:44 EDT 2010


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Lightman" <lightmanmark at yahoo.com>
To: "Mark Hoffman" <markgvh at gmail.com>; "Carl Conrad" <cwconrad2 at mac.com>
Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 4. maj 2010 20:51
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Translation Considerations checklist: Suggestions?


> Mark Hoffman wrote:
>
> The "Mark" with whom Carl was disagreeing is, I think me.  I have found
> that if somebody disagrees with something that a "Mark" wrote on B-Greek,
> chances are they are disagreeing with me.

I'll be happy to disagree with you, too, Mark L.

>
> One final question.  COULD a committee produce a good translation
> of the Iliad or the Symposium?  I don't think so.  Then why do
> committees routinely produce good translations of the Greek NT?
> Why has no one, not even a genius, produced their own NT which
> is as good as the ones produced by the Committees?  (Maybe Luther is
> the exception here, but I don't read enough German to judge
> how good his is.)

This is where I disagree. In my view bible translations produced by committees 
are generally poor and artless, and often inaccurate, because they are too bound 
by tradition.
Of course, the problem is what criteria you use to judge a translation as good.
But I do agree that working with a peer group - like b-Greek - and with a good 
group of reviewers will produce a better product. However, a good translation 
can and has been produced by individuals.
In one sense I agree with Carl that translating the bible is impossible. It is 
impossible to please everybody.
Otherwise it is quite possible. Some of us have done it or are doing it, not 
100% perfect, though.

Having said that, I don't think the crucial point is committee or no committee, 
but the training and skills of the translators. The more people you have in a 
committee, the more difficult it is to give all of them the required training. 
An individual who is incompetent as an exegete and translator, will produce a 
less than good translation.

Iver Larsen




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