Bible Translations Are for People - with Drew Maust

"Accuracy is often thought to be the main criterion for good translation, but acceptability is just as important." Drew Maust is a translation consultant and one of the editors of the SIL Journal of Translation. He kindly agreed to read and share a recent article of his on this podcast. A big thanks to Drew for taking the time to record his insights for us to learn from! Despite the objective advantages of the metric system—such as its simplicity and global adoption—Americans are reluctant to abandon their traditional units due to cultural identity and convenience. This resistance to change is similar to the reception of advances in biblical studies, which often struggle to be accepted by the broader public. Translators face the challenge of balancing tradition with modern scholarship, as changes in Bible translations can be contentious. An example of this is the translation of the term "leprosy" from Hebrew and Greek texts. Historically translated as "leprosy," modern scholars argue that the biblical term refers to a variety of skin diseases, not specifically Hansen's disease. However, translations often retain the traditional term due to familiarity and acceptance by readers. This highlights the complex nature of translation, which must consider accuracy, clarity, naturalness, and acceptability. Translators strive to create versions that resonate with their audience while maintaining scholarly integrity, illustrating the intricate balance between source fidelity and target audience preferences. Read the article. ⁠⁠⁠⁠workingfortheword.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my books⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hebrew ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠| ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠academic articles⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠download all episodes for offline

Om Podcasten

It's been said that people don't want to know: 1) how sausages are made, 2) how bibles are translated. In this podcast we bravely talk about the latter, go deep into biblical studies, and seek to treasure and understand the Bible together. It's for people who want to get nerdy about Scripture and for those who want to understand how their translations came to be. Everything from history to Hebrew, we're on a quest to learn more and make beautiful translations of God's Word. We believe the Bible is a unified, God-breathed, God-centered, hope-giving book, sweeter than honey, pointing to Jesus.