Bible version debate facts for kids
The Bible is a very old collection of writings. These writings were first created in different languages, like Ancient Greek and Latin. Today, when we talk about The Bible, we usually mean a version that has been translated into one language. Because of this, many parts of the Bible have been translated from their original languages.
One of the earliest important translations was the Septuagint, which put the Bible into Ancient Greek. Another famous one is the Vulgate, which translated it into Latin. From about the 1300s onwards, people started translating the Bible into many other languages, making it available to more people around the world.
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Understanding Bible Translations
Translating any text means more than just swapping words. It also involves understanding the original meaning and sometimes interpreting it. A word in one language might not have an exact match with the same meaning in another language. This is why there are different ways to translate.
Different Ways to Translate
There are a few main ways translators work to bring ancient texts into modern languages. Each method has its own goals and challenges.
Word-for-Word Translation
One way to translate is called word-for-word translation, or formal equivalence. This method tries to stay as close as possible to the original text. It often means translating each word separately.
However, this method can have problems. Sometimes, extra words need to be added to make the sentences grammatically correct in the new language. These extra words weren't in the original text. Also, readers might need to know a lot about the topic to understand a very literal translation.
Meaning-for-Meaning Translation
Another way is to focus on the overall thoughts and ideas of the original text. This is called dynamic equivalence. A translation using this method might use different words or phrases. But it always tries to keep the main meaning and message the same. This can make the text easier to read and understand.
Explaining the Concepts
A third way is called paraphrasing. This method tries to explain the main ideas found in the text in simple terms. It doesn't even try to match words or phrases closely. A paraphrased text might leave out some parts or add explanations to make concepts clearer. While a paraphrased text is often very easy to understand, it's not usually used for deep study.
Dealing with Unknown Words
Sometimes, translators face a challenge when the meaning of certain words isn't fully known. This often happens with words that appear only once in a very old text. These rare words are called Hapax legomena. Translators often have to guess their meaning based on the surrounding text.
Choosing the Original Text
Before the printing press was invented, people had to copy texts by hand. This often led to small mistakes or changes over time. After a while, there were many slightly different versions of the same text.
Comparing these different old copies is called textual criticism. Translating two different old versions of the same text can sometimes lead to two different translated texts. This is why scholars carefully choose which ancient copies to use for new translations.
Translating Names
When translating, some translators choose to also translate names. For example, a name that means "rock" in the original language might be translated as "Peter." Other translators prefer to simply write the name as it appeared in the original language. Both methods are common.
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