Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Bill Rea <bsr15 AT cantsl.it.canterbury.ac.nz>]

On Thu, 6 Jan 2005, Peter Kirk wrote:

>
> The problem is, what is the implied contract? It is not simply "literal
> or DE or paraphrase".

> In other words, it [i.e. the NIV]
> delivers rather well on its implied contract which is
> to offer something less literal than NASB but closer to the original
> than TEV. And this success is measured by its popularity. Of course
> popularity does not imply accuracy, but it does imply that it is
> successfully meeting a need, and it can only do that by delivering on
> its implied contract.

I don't think the idea of an implied contract between translator and
reader is understood or accepted by very many. Wayne Leman doesn't
appear to accept such an idea and those who criticise The Message because
``it isn't a real Bible'' don't either. My reason for using such
an idea is not to quibble with the translator's end of the contract.
It is to make clear to the reader that if they are going buy a literal
style version, e.g. NASB, then they have committed themselves to a lot
more work to understand the text they have in front of them than if
they buy a DE style version such as the TEV. Conversely if they buy
an DE style version then in many, many, places they are cutting themselves
off from the modes of expressions used by the original texts.

I can imagine the translators of the versions ranked poorly on Leman's
list shaking their heads and saying ``He just doesn't get it.'' If
you read the opening paragraph of Leman's study you will find he uses
a single standard for all versions. In my lingo he has one implied
contract imposed on all versions from the reader's point of view.
Given some translators worked to a different contract that's pretty
unfair.

I want people to ensure both they and their propective translation
are using the same contract before money changes hands.

Bill Rea, IT Services, Canterbury  University \_
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