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 Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:00 am
My question is kind of broad...is there a specific standard for this? I do allot of posts and threads regarding Islam, and since the Qur'an and most supporting documents are usually only available in Arabic, translation is a major issue.
That being said I speak Arabic, but then we get into the whole issue of 'well you are interpreting it as you see fit'.
So...questions:
What are accepted forms of translation? There are a small number of widely accepted translations of the Qur'an, but I have seen random translations pop up over the internet (some of which I can tell you are flat out wrong). Should I state right off the bat in every thread the accepted version?
At what point is translating things myself considered biased?
Is there a standard to avoid bias when translating myself (as some things have no English version yet it is unavoidable)?
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 8:16 pm
Quote: What are accepted forms of translation? There are a small number of widely accepted translations of the Qur'an, but I have seen random translations pop up over the internet (some of which I can tell you are flat out wrong). Should I state right off the bat in every thread the accepted version? Asking people what the accepted form of translation (in my opinion) is kinda like asking what clothes they like to wear. There's a general idea of clothing that is widely accepted in one given area, but at the same time every person's idea is individual and unique. There are always wrong translations of every work. The translator might be mistaken or just stupid. =/ I don't think the reason really matters though. What I think is that you believe you have a better understanding of the Qur'an than those translators (which is very possible >_>) and you want to redirect people who have been misled. If you're gonna debate, I think you should just use the version you think is most accurate, and put a disclaimer there or something. Quote: At what point is translating things myself considered biased? Depends how you translate. o_O...I'll give you my suggestion. Quote: Is there a standard to avoid bias when translating myself (as some things have no English version yet it is unavoidable)? If there are words that have no english translation, I would just keep the original arabic word, then put the most accurate definition of the word next to it in parentheses...and then disclaimer it.
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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 1:37 pm
Alright it is a starting point, I will get to work codifying some sort of system... xp
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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:41 pm
You can also look online for existing Quran translation, and compare that with yours (because we all know meanings are lost in translations).
Good luck.
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Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:55 pm
This also applies to the Bible, which has been translated through 7 languages before reaching English, passed down through hundreds/thousands of years via word of mouth, and is largely based on paraboles.
That's not to say I'm trying to discredit it (I'm actually Christian), but a lot of debates about Christianity and what the Bible says come down to a question of translation vs. interpretation.
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Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:14 am
xion-dono This also applies to the Bible, which has been translated through 7 languages before reaching English, passed down through hundreds/thousands of years via word of mouth, and is largely based on paraboles. That's not to say I'm trying to discredit it (I'm actually Christian), but a lot of debates about Christianity and what the Bible says come down to a question of translation vs. interpretation. Definitely. Issues such as homosexuality, childfree, and 'witchcraft' come under fire not only because of translation issues but because words were actually inserted back during the King James day that have no actual corresponding source in the original versions. Not only is there a translation/interpretation issue, but also an issue of context. You mentioned parables, that's a great example. The context of the parable is important, we can all agree on that. A lot of those crazy laws passed down in the Torah in the days of Moses have legitimate reasons for them that make sense with what we know now (such as the cracked pots - they would harbor bacteria that would spread food poisoning. Mixed fabrics did not breathe as well and retained moisture too well, which would be very bad out in a desert) and make sense in the context of the environment in which they were issued. Too many people take things in the Bible out of context and pick and choose how they want to interpret it while disregarding the rest of it. Like the part about how wives must submit to their husbands? Funny how that scripture is misused so often to "keep the wimminfolk in line" but they completely overlook what it goes on to say, that the husband should love the wife the way Christ loved the Church - to cherish, protect, even die to defend it.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:09 am
Having done translation in several languages... honestly there is no way to perfectly bring the essence of a work into another language. Nuances in the original are what make it worthwhile, no? Either way you end up marring it somehow (especially poetry).
The only thing you can do is your best to be true to the original work... using many many dictionaries to make sure you have selected the 'best' word, and try to translate free of intent.
And if someone doesn't like your translation... well... tell them to learn to read the Qur'an in its original text, because that is the only truly accurate way to understand it. See yourself as someone to promote understanding, not as someone with all the answers. (makes it easier on the psyche)
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:52 pm
I think that it is all in the message. Is the idea getting across in a way that people can understand it? As long as the people you are helping undersand it understand the message that is in the Qur'an than I don't really see the perfct/ direct translation an issue.
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:48 am
I know no other language than english (though I make the occasional attempt to begin learning German and Japanese), howeever, I find that when I have a work from another language where the translation is contested, it is best to find multiple copies of the work in question, each with a different translation. Dealing for the most part with texts translated from german, which has many words not expressable in english, I find the better translations admitt this outright and put a definition or approximation in a footnote.
One thing that I must ask, if you are going to translate a religious text, is that you not be tempted to be consistent. If the author uses a contradictory turn of phrase (or not even a turn of phrase, but a given story being contradictory, like when jesus asks the apostles to go buy swords after the Last Supper and then tells them not to use those swords), or is inconsistent when refering to something, do not be tempted to write what you think they meant, but translate the phrase(or story) directly and offer your interpretation in parentheses, ie: '( )', or as a footnote.
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