Translation Of Sacred Texts

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How far would you agree that the translation of sacred texts has had a profound influence on the way we think about translation? Please explain and discuss the reasons for your views Sacred texts are highly complex not only due to their linguistic properties but also their political and sociological impact and have therefore always been incredibly difficult to translate. The Bible is one of the most translated texts in history involving more than 2000 diverse languages.[1] Over the centuries multiple versions have been produced and still continue to be produced even today. As one of the most translated texts in history it has had a huge impact on translation theory and practice in the Occident. As such, this essay focuses predominantly on the history of Bible translation although issues related to the translation of the Qu’ran are also touched on. The Septuagint otherwise known as the LXX was the first major translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into the lingua franca of Ancient Greek between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC. Legend claimed that 72 bilingual translators were kept in separate chambers producing exactly the same text at the same time. Whilst this account of events is highly implausible, it conveyed the idea that the Septuagint spoke the authentic words of God. The Septuagint was a very literal translation but was highly regarded as it was believed that it spoke the aforementioned authentic words of God. St Jerome (340-420AD) began the revolution in translation thinking when he opted to produce what came to be known as the Latin Vulgate from the Hebrew Scriptures and not the Greek Septuagint. He controversially advocated 'sense for sense’ and not ‘word for word’ translations, a debate which still rages even today. He wrote a letter defending his actions to St. Pamacchius which included the following revolutionary
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