Do you think translation has possibly made the Bible almost unintelligible?

Question

A while back I read of a simple saying in English that was sent for independent translation into Greek and then sent again to another translator to be translated from the Greek back into English, The saying was:
"Boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses"
after translation into Greek and once again into English the phrase came out as:
"The men don't make the moves and the ladies who use the crystals"
I think this is a great example of how meaning can be lost and altered when text is translated, and we must remember the Bible has been through so many more layers of translation so the effects will be even greater.

Averell A: No, I'm afraid any translation however good changes meanings...usually specifically to the interpretation the translator himself reads intoit or rather the interpretation the commissioning agent wishes the interpretor to use.

Answer 1

I've been saying that for years. You also have to add that each different ruler (king) has changed the Bible to meet his needs, i.e. leaving books out, adding rules, etc. (how about the 'women will submit to their husbands' do they think God said that? It sounds to me that MEN want the upper hand and to put it in the Good Book was the way to scare people into 'submitting' to it.)

Unfortunately, we are fighting a losing battle. You will never convince the people that have been brainwashed since birth to believe the Bible as the word of God. It took me years to realize it but as I grew into an independent and educated woman I starting realizing that the Bible was written and translated for the last 2000 years by MEN (specifically).

(Thanks Pernelle...I appreciate the thought though!) :)

Answer 2

But, as you note, the error was discovered by comparing the original with the translation.

This, of course, is a problem with any translation. The Bible, however, is constantly being compared with original language manuscripts and increased knowledge about ancient languages.

It has been demonstrated by those means that our current language translations are virtually identical with the original meanings and intent of the writers.

Because something can happen doesn't mean that it did happen. The Bible is an excellent example of the care in translation that has been done over the years.

Obviously, in your example, if the English to Greek translators were aware of the intent of the quotation, that is translating phrases, thoughts and ideas rather than words, the result might have been a little closer to the original.

Years ago Chevy had a vehicle called the Nova. In English it is a bright, expanding star, in Spanish it means 'doesn't go'. Not a very good name for a car.

Answer 3

You're exactly right. An example from the bible is that "the adversary" has been translated into "satan" or "the devil". I guess it never dawned on anyone that "the adversary" could just as easily mean something else - such as your own selfish desires, or other ordinary folks. Everything loses something in the translation.
The Chevy Nova was marketed in Mexico as a cheap, reliable, small car. Nobody bought it. No va in spanish means "doesn't go".
You'd think that modern Christians would recognize this and be a little bit suspicious of some of the more intricate parts of the bible. But alas..... *sigh*

Answer 4

How did you already know who hardened Pharaoh's heart? it would want to were God himself. yet in case you ant to be positive, there have been various dozen translations of the Bible made interior the perfect 60 years or so. you ought to search for suggestion from a variety of of variations. because you're consulting a Bible with "-eth" variations of verbs, that's maximum in all probability the King James translation, which changed into made in basic terms over 400 years in the past. The language in that translation is in a lot of places very beautiful, notwithstanding that's 400 years previous. The English language has moved on for the reason that then. various difficulty-free words in that translation have replaced drastically, such that they recommend very virtually the different of their meaning 400 years in the past, that may bring about puzzlement in some parts.

Answer 5

I'm Jewish and do a pretty fair job of reading Hebrew. Every translation I've read is pretty good. And every translation I've read translates passages differently than I would translate them.

Jewish commentary, especially Rashi, does a real good job of explaining alternate meanings and why particular interpretations are chosen.

Hebrew words have many layers of meaning to them and only one can be expressed in a translation. This does create somewhat of a problem.

My suggestion, if you are concerned enough, is to learn Hebrew and start translating yourself.

Answer 6

Definitely, I would say that all of the translations over the years have acted to make the bible more incoherent and less like the original. The very name of Jesus, the name people Proclaim in those crazy houses of worship across the world every Sunday (churches), has been mutated from the original name : Yeshua. I mean if they can get something like that wrong, who knows what else is wrong in that book that was originally a bunch of word of mouth stories that weren't written down until 1000s of years after they happened that was later subjected to heavy editing by whatever ruling authority has said is right, How can we not trust it?!?

Answer 7

Good theory. I don't know if its applicable to Bible because the people who translated the Bible are scholars and they spent years and years to translate it so it could be precisely like the original. I read the Bible and a lot of times I still ask for wisdom because the meaning are deep, the truth doesn't easilly comes out in one sitting. =)

Answer 8

Bible has the forecast about Mohamed, but the name was translated and the meaning does not make sense.

Answer 9

To be honest we only know about the bible from what we are taught, what I cannot grasp is,has anyone actually , are are we going off blind faith.in what we were given to understand from .then comes the question who, told them the interpretation of the good book, and so on, and so on,

Answer 10

No but the protestants have each one interpreting the scripture for himself and coming up with thousands of different meanings