Guest article by Daniel Huber, used by permission
Though in the context of translating other literature into English, this article mentions important qualities of good translations, pointing out the complexity of translation that All-Nations translators and their mother-tongue teammates—laboring to translate God’s written Word into other languages—are well acquainted with. Be encouraged to support them in prayer!
When Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra published his El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha in 1605, it was soon recognized as a masterpiece of Spanish literature. Only seven years after its publication, Thomas Shelton published an English translation.
More than a few English translations of Don Quixote have been published since Shelton, the latest of which is a 2012 translation by Gerald J. Davis. Several translations of Don Quixote are available in print today; you might find two or three of them on the shelves at a large bookstore.
Which English translation of Don Quixote is best? Let’s suppose that I tell you that the best translation of Don Quixote is the original one, the one made by Thomas Shelton in 1612. I hand you a copy. You glance at the title and notice that it reads as follows: The History of the Valorous and Wittie Knight-Errant Don Quixote of the Mancha. You open the book and leaf through it. The pages are full of an English vocabulary that is similar to that of the title. Will this be the best translation of Don Quixote for you to read? Likely not. Shelton’s translation is good, but the English vocabulary used in it is not the one that you are accustomed to using. Perhaps Gerald J. Davis’ 2012 translation is the best one for you.
Which translation is best? is a question that both thoughtful readers and careful translators should ask themselves. The answer is seldom as simple as we might first imagine, especially for the translator.
Translators must constantly search for the words in the target language that will help them create an excellent translation of the words and ideas contained in the source text. The translator must often evaluate several good translation options in order to find the best one: Shall I type that the sky was “blue” or shall I type the word “azure” instead? Which translation best captures the sky color that is painted in the source text? The answer may not be immediately apparent. Consider well how you translate.
Everyone who knows at least two languages instinctively understands that there are words and ideas that cannot and should not be translated too simplistically. It is possible that the beautiful, four-legged and fleet-footed animal of conveyance described in detail in the source text should not be simplistically called a “horse” in the English translation. It might have to be a “steed” or a “charger.”
Which translation is best?
- The one that is made thoughtfully and with great skill.
- The one that speaks the language and idiom of the intended readership.
- The one that is made by a translator who is well-read in both the source and the target languages.
- The one that translates not only the words and ideas of the source text, but also the feel, texture, and mood.
I suppose no translator feels capable of producing a translation that perfectly meets all those demanding criteria. In fact, a good argument can be made for the idea that perfect translations are impossible. But very good approximations can be made! Excellent translations are possible.
As translators, editors and writers of Christian literature, we often exclaim along with the Apostle Paul: “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16). But it is in the act of owning our deep need for help that we can hear the reassuring words: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phillipians 4:13).
— Daniel R. Huber