In this discussion, it was been stated that the literal translation is an attempt to keep the exact words or phrases of the original. This grows out of the theology that God preserved the Bible for all mankind and the method that God used was to make sacred each individual word preserved for all later generations. This belief holds that God preserved the very words of the manuscripts. Therefore, the literal translation makes the effort and is faithful to preserve the original text. Because historical distance is not bridged between the languages involved, a literal translation is very hard to read and very easy to misunderstand.
A second method presented here is the Dynamic equivalent translation. This attempts to be a thought for thought translation. The translators try to keep the historical distance constant. But, on the other hand, it tries to make the style and grammar easy to read and understand by the modern reader.
The last translation method to be discussed is called the Free or paraphrased translation. In this method, the translator used the ideas from the original text but pays no attention to the original words. Seeks to do away with all historical distance. These translations are very readable, but the translation may not be exactly what the original author said in original text.
A word on Historical Distance
A decision has to be made when words in translation have to do with weights, measures and money. The choices hinge on how to express the intent of the words from one language to another. Should the terms be transliterated to English, or should the English equivalents be used?
If you are going to use equivalents, then what units do you chose? American or European methods of weights and measures? If you use the American units, will the translation be awkward to some one living in France? Is this that important?
Some translations are not consistent in these matters. The culture and customs of the modern world are changing so fast, will any of these be accurate in a few years? No matter what version (s) you select for your use, it would be more than helpful to select the versions that make use of extensive notes.
In Closing
What you have to choose from.
How many English Bibles are there?
No one can, with certainly, give you the number of English translations and paraphrases of the Bible printed since Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526.
Some of this is due to to the difficulty of determining what should be defined as a new translation, and what is only an update of an old translation.
Sometimes the updated version contain very little changes.
In determining the the number of English Bibles ever produced, a problem is what is: what to include in the count. The complete Bible translations are counted. How about just the New Testament translations? Do they count at the “English Bible”? Another question is what about the single books of the Bible that have been produced over the years for one reason or another? What about a group of Biblical books, but not the whole Bible? Most report the numbers as being about 900.
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