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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 3:15 "bruise"

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: Karl Randolph <kwrandolph AT email.com>
  • Cc: Hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Genesis 3:15 "bruise"
  • Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 21:49:50 +0000

On 22/12/2004 20:55, Karl Randolph wrote:

Jom:

All translations are paraphrases, at least to a certain extent.

First of all, on a grammatical basis, what is good grammar in one language
often is nonsense in another. Already by adjusting the word order, one does a
low level of paraphrasing.


Karl, you misunderstand the translation process. It does not consist of word for word glossing followed by paraphrase. such as adjustments of the word order. It consists of understanding the text in the source language and finding an equivalent expression in the target language.

Secondly, and more importantly, lexemes often have meanings in one language
that have no equivelant in another. Sometimes it will be broader, including
meanings that are rendered by two or three different lexemes in the target
language, sometimes narrower, sometimes a sentence is required to explain a
concept that one word does in the originating text. This is not even counting
figures of speech, literary devices and euphamisms.


Precisely.

Because of these problems, all translations are paraphrases.


This is true if you accept Jim's idiosyncratic definition of "paraphrase". I do not.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/






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