> I agree. :-) Just so long as it doesn't operate on too many GNU tools, then > RMS would want us to call it GNU/Bible. ;-) Seriously though, if enough > people who knew at least Greek and English or Hebrew and English signed on, > you could produce a GNU translation in a very short amount of time. > That sure would be nice too!
Tim I take it you have never been involved in a translation effort. Seminary trainning in translation is a serious business. It is seldom enough to just put the words down literally, we have lots of those kinds of translations available. What is hard to translate in Paul for example are the Greek idioms he uses in the context he meant them, and the interplay between Greek and Jewish culture that he used so effectively to bring the two communities together. Until you have enough scollarship to see the world through the eyes of the author it is very difficult to come up with proper exogesis of a passage. It is further more, nearly impossible to transmit the poetry and power of the language and culture. As a simple example, The phrase Living Water is evocative, but English is not capiable of translating this idiom with anything like the power it evokes in Hebrew. The Hebrew term is Mayim Chaim. To start with it rymes. Then add the fact that Mayim Chaim is ment to be celebrated each year as one of God's feasts. If you dont know the history of that feast and understand it's significance to the Jewish community it is like trying to understand modern Christianity without knowing anything about Christmas. Just so readers are not completely in the dark about this, the festival is marked by a parade of the living water from the pool of Salom to the temple. The occasion starts solomly, but builds and builds as the procession winds it's way through the streets with ever increasing enthusiasm. So much so that the Rabbi's in those days said that if you have never seen it, then you have never experienced joy in your life. At the height of this cerimony, amongst all the jubilation is where Jesus announced to his followers that he is The Mayim Chaim. This might not be your idea of what translation means, but it is mine. This is the fuel that the fires of faith are built on. We have enough cheap translation out there. It is time to bring everything to the table and do it so people really understand. BTW, happy Hanuka. Did you know that early Christians celebrated it, and Jesus did too? It is a celebration of religious freedom. More people ought to learn about the eight day miracle. Michael
