Long, Lynne. (2007) Revealing commentary through comparative textual analysis : the realm of Bible translations. Palimpsestes (No.20). pp. 35-57. ISSN 1274-9036

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Abstract

Translation of the Bible, as of most texts central to a religion, must plead a special case in terms of contextual and exegetical complexity. The question of Bible translation has generated political and ideological dispute since Jerome’s first attempt to consolidate the various Latin and Greek texts available in the fourth century into one vulgate and continues to generate considerable interest and argument today. The tradition of commentary grew primarily as an aid to interpretation and exegesis, but later functioned also as a justification for translation strategy, or a presentation of alternative readings. Nowadays, contrary to the educated literate elite of the early and medieval days of the Christian church, and thanks to modern technology, the common reader can have easy access to paper and electronic translations of the Bible in many languages. Traditional forms of commentary have then shrunk for practical reasons in their scope and prominence but are detectable through the range of translations available for comparison. Analysing these translations diachronically and synchronically may reveal many aspects of the translators’ strategy as well as implicit or explicit commentary that can prove to be directing the reader towards a particular interpretation of the text. These analyses and resulting information function as a commentary on the text, not perhaps in the same way as the original commentaries provided exegesis, but nevertheless revealing the processes, functions, intentions and manipulations of the translators.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BS The Bible P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Applied Linguistics Faculty of Arts > Centre for Translation and Comparative Cultural Studies
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Translating and interpreting, Bible -- Translating, Bible -- Versions, Bible -- Commentaries, Bible -- Criticism, Textual, Criticism, Textual -- Comparative studies
Journal or Publication Title:	Palimpsestes
Publisher:	Presses de la Sorbonne Nouvelle
ISSN:	1274-9036
Date:	2007
Number:	No.20
Page Range:	pp. 35-57
Status:	Not Peer Reviewed
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/36666

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