20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ryken's Defense of an Essentially Literal Approach, September 29, 2009
This review is from: Understanding English Bible Translation: The Case for an Essentially Literal Approach (Paperback)
When it comes to the Bible, we, in the English-speaking world, are profoundly blessed for we have at our disposal scores of translations of Scripture. While they range from excellent to abysmal, in many cases even the worst of them is far superior to the best available in any number of other languages. And, of course, we acknowledge that multitudes of languages remain which still have no access at all to God's Word. Certainly we have little cause to complain and every cause to express gratitude to God. We have the luxury and responsibility even, of not just studying the Bible, but of first seeking out the best translation available. And that is increasingly becoming a daunting task as each seems to have its strengths and its weaknesses. Meanwhile, the translation philosophies that bring about such strengths and weaknesses remain hidden to most readers who prefer to leave such discussions in the hands of the academics.
In 2002 Leland Ryken wrote The Word of God in English, a book that laid out the criteria for a superior translation of the Bible into the English language. Though not quite an academic book, neither was it particularly easy reading. Still, it did a good of presenting arguments for what Ryken calls an "essentially literal" approach to translating the Bible. An essentially literal translation is one that strives to translate the exact words of the original-language text but not in such a rigid way as to violate the normal rules of language and syntax in the receptor language. The Word of God in English cemented in my mind the importance of selecting an excellent translation of Scripture and of having confidence that the words we read in the Bible are the words the Author intended for us to read.
Seven years later, Ryken returns with Understanding English Bible Translation. It is shorter and more streamlined than its predecessor and is written for more of a general audience. Also, it is updated, reflecting new realities that have come about even in the past seven years. It is a book that any Christian can read and understand, avoiding the more difficult nuances and focusing primarily on the big-picture. Ryken's purpose is to show once more the superiority of the essentially literal approach to translation and to display the negative consequences of depending upon lesser translation philosophies such as dynamic equivalence or paraphrasing.
Ryken launches a five-pronged attack. In the book's first part, he provides an overview of the issues related to translation and provides answers to common questions associated with translating the Bible. In part two he briefly tells the story of English Bible translation, starting with Wycliffe and continuing to Eugene Peterson and beyond. The third part looks to the two main genres of Bible translation, showing how the two genres are, foundationally, vastly different. They have divergent goals for translation, divergent views of the Bible, divergent views of the Bible's authors, reader and translators, divergent methods of translation and divergent styles of translation. In the fourth part he provides a vision for the ideal English Bible translation before, in part five, showing how an accurate, high-quality translation of the Bible is of critical importance to the life of the church.
Throughout, he argues well. I must say, though, that a weakness remains that, in my mind, threatens to undo his argument and it is this: his definition of an essentially literal translation remains just a little bit too nebulous, a little too subjective. I realize that a brief definition can hardly capture all of the complexities of a translation philosophy, but still, I do wonder at times whether perhaps the lines are just a little too hazy. It seems that any translation is only as strong as its greatest compromise and every translation must in some way compromise the original words. Though this does not hamper the book itself or the issues it introduces, I do feel that it is often lingering in the background but that it goes largely unaddressed.
I am of the opinion that every Christian can benefit from reading a good book on the subject of Bible translation. When we understand the issues faced by translators, and when we then turn to a sound version of the Bible, we have renewed confidence that the words before us are the very words of God. And this, really, is the core of most of Ryken's arguments. He wants Christians to have before them a Bible that accurately conveys the words that God has spoken--not a paraphrase of those words, not an interpretation of them, but simply a translation that, as much as possible, takes the exact words of the original and carries them over to English. One would think that this would not be difficult to come by, but the modern history of English Bible translation shows few versions that adhere to this philosophy.
In Understanding English Bible Translation Ryken argues persuasively that there is much to gain in depending upon an essentially literal translation of Scripture and he argues equally well that there is potential for great loss if we turn instead to dynamic equivalents or other less-stringent translations. The book is suitable for any Christian reader and whether you choose to read this book or another like it, I am convinced you will benefit from understanding the distinctions between the genres and from grappling with the larger issues. In the end I hope, I trust, you will have greater confidence in the Bible you read.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting and Engaging Book About Bible Translation, October 12, 2009
This review is from: Understanding English Bible Translation: The Case for an Essentially Literal Approach (Paperback)
Yes,the title of my review is correct. This is actually an interesting and engaging book about English Bible translation. Ryken has written an accessible volume arguing for a translation which attempts to render in English a translation that stays close to the wording and grammar of the original languages of Scripture. Ryken is at the same time making the case against the dynamic equivalence approach to translation which has grown in popularity through the past several decades. Ryken points out the ways that dynamic equivalence translations, while seeking to be clear to the modern reader, can actually obscure, soften, or oversimplify the text. I was most persuaded in reading this book by Ryken's argument that the culture of the Bible should not be modernized for the sake of clarity, as is often the case in dynamic equivalence translations. Figures of speech and cultural idioms that are simplified often take away much of the richness of the text. Ryken's arguments for the Bible as a literary work befitting its subject matter were also persuasive. The Bible in its original languages does employ exalted language quite often because of its subject matter and Ryken argues that this should not be diminished in our translations.
Where Ryken falls short in this book, in my opinion, was in saying that the line between formal and dynamic equivalence puts all translations into one of two camps. I think a case can be made that the NIV and the HCSB walk a line between the two camps that is a third way in Bible translation. I certainly believe that there is more distance between the NIV and the Message (two dynamic equivalence translations according to Ryken) than between the NIV and the ESV (an essentially literal translation). I personally am more likely to use the NIV or HCSB than the NASB (which I find to be so grammatically unclear that I have trouble reading it). So all dynamic equivalent translations are not created equal and the same is true of essentially literal translations. I am not persuaded that there are two camps. I am convinced that, contrary to Ryken, there really is a continuum or range of translations which value accuracy and clarity to greater or lesser degrees.
With that said, Ryken is a thoughtful and skilled writer and I believe that whether one buys into all of his conclusions or not, this is a worthwhile book which will deepen one's understanding of English Bible translation.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a breath of fresh air in a stale debate, October 22, 2009
This review is from: Understanding English Bible Translation: The Case for an Essentially Literal Approach (Paperback)
Understanding English Bible Translation: The Case for an Essentially Literal Approach
By
Leland Ryken
ISBN-10: 1433502798
ISBN-13: 9781433502798
The one who avoids this book due to a fear of it being overly scholarly and hard to understand will certainly make a mistake. While the book is indeed well researched and intelligently written, it is also easy to read and to understand.
Ryken deals with the differences between dynamic equivalent translations of the Bible (those that translate in a more thought by thought manner) and formal equivalent translations (those that attempt to translate word for word).
Ryken claims that an essentially literal translation, or a formal equivalent translation is more to be desired than a dynamic equivalent.
Why? He gives a number of reasons. Two of these reasons stand out to me above all others. One is that the dynamic equivalent translations are not consistent. They vary from one translation to the other so that one is not sure which translation is correct. This leads to a destabilized text. It leads people to wonder which is correct. Another reason is that dynamic equivalent translations often present commentary instead of translation. Thus the reader gets the understanding of the translator, but doesn't always get the understanding of the underlying text.
An essentially literal translation, however, seeks to translate word for word the original language into the receptor language. For the subject at hand, that language is English, because that is the language with which Ryken deals. (As an aside, I read one person who took issue with Ryken because things don't always work as well when translating into languages other than English. Ryken specifically states, however, that he is only dealing with English and understands that other languages present significant challenges in this respect.) With an essentially literal translation, there may be variance in the words used to translate, yet they will still yield basically the same understanding when compared one to the other. An essentially literal translation will also present essentially the same words and phrases as the original texts so that the reader will be reading basically the same thing that the Biblical writers presented to their original readers.
In a day when there is much confusion over Bible translations and translating philosophies this book is a breath of fresh air. I believe it also brings some needed clarity to the debate. I could only wish that everyone saw the need for an essentially literal translation.
(This book provided for review by Crossway Publishers.)
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