Monday, December 26, 2011

caveat lector!

“When interpreters extract emotion concepts from one sociolinguistic context and simplistically transport them to another, then the source text becomes a hollow shell filled by the values and assumptions of the target audience. Words such as irrational enter commentaries, even though they do little more than distract readers from the text itself. Translators may never produce a casualty-free text—wounds and scarring will undoubtedly be present. At the same time, translators have the ethical responsibility of avoiding the destruction of key elements in the text they translate. The Hebrew Bible has much to teach audiences today, but these audiences will learn little if they do not understand the text on its own terms.”— From Fratricide to Forgiveness: The Language and Ethics of Anger in Genesis , pages 46-47

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