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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: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 01:14:50 +0000

On 23/12/2004 00:37, Karl Randolph wrote:

Peter:

I noticed that
http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=paraphrase has the
entry:

Main Entry: 1para·phrase
Pronunciation: 'par-&-"frAz
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis, from Greek, from
paraphrazein to paraphrase, from para- + phrazein to point out
1 : a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another
form
2 : the use or process of paraphrasing in studying or teaching composition

Definition #2 we can ignore.

I looked up a few dictionaries on line, and they all gave the same definition. None of
them restricted paraphrase to within a language. Because sometimes a direct translation
comes up gibberish, I noticed that when I worked as a translator, I always had to
restate something in a form other than a direct translation to give an understandable
meaning. I was one of those translators who does not like deviating from the original
text, but many times I had to in order to make the message contained in the original
understandable to those speaking the target language. That has always been my
understanding of "paraphrase".


Fair enough. But none of them has the sense "inaccurate translation" or "non-literal rendering from one language to another" which Jim seems to use.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by a "direct translation", but if you mean what Jim earlier called a translation rather than a paraphrase, I would suggest that it almost always comes up gibberish. A proper translation involves, as you say, rendering of the meaning of the text in a form which gives an understandable meaning in the target language, and in general this requires using a different form in the target language.

But if you call that "paraphrase" you are distorting the meaning of the word, although not as seriously as Jim was originally. In fact, what you are saying is that translation is a subset of paraphrase, and strictly according to your definition #1 that is true because any change of language is a change of form. Nevertheless, the word "paraphrase" is not normally used when a change of language is involved, and it certainly does not imply non-literalism, still less inaccuracy.

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



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