an open letter on translating-第2章

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that　I　have　sometimes　searched　and　inquired　about　a　single　word



for　three　or　four　weeks。　Sometimes　I　have　not　found　it　even　then。



I　have　worked　Meister　Philip　and　Aurogallus　so　hard　in　translating



Job；　sometimes　barely　translating　3　lines　after　four　days。　Now



that　it　has　been　translated　into　German　and　completed；　all　can



read　and　criticize　it。　One　can　now　read　three　or　four　pages



without　stumbling　one　time　…　without　realizing　just　what　rocks　and



hindrances　had　once　been　where　now　one　travels　as　as　if　over　a



smoothly…cut　plank。　We　had　to　sweat　and　toil　there　before　we



removed　those　rocks　and　hindrances；　so　one　could　go　along　nicely。



The　plowing　goes　nicely　in　a　clear　field。　But　nobody　wants　the



task　of　digging　out　the　rocks　and　hindrances。　There　is　no　such



thing　as　earning　the　world's　thanks。　Even　God　cannot　earn　thanks；



not　with　the　sun；　nor　with　heaven　and　earth；　or　even　the　death　of



his　Son。　It　just　is　and　remains　as　it　is；　in　the　devil's　name；　as



it　will　not　be　anything　else。







I　also　know　that　in　Rom。　3；　the　word　〃solum〃　is　not　present　in



either　Greek　or　Latin　text　…　the　papists　did　not　have　to　teach　me



that　…　it　is　fact！　The　letters　s…o…l…a　are　not　there。　And　these



knotheads　stare　at　them　like　cows　at　a　new　gate；　while　at　the　same



time　they　do　not　recognize　that　it　conveys　the　sense　of　the　text　…



if　the　translation　is　to　be　clear　and　accurate；　it　belongs　there。



I　wanted　to　speak　German　since　it　was　German　I　had　spoken　in



translation　…　not　Latin　or　Greek。　But　it　is　the　nature　of　our



language　that　in　speaking　about　two　things；　one　which　is　affirmed；



the　other　denied；　we　use　the　word　〃solum〃　only　along　with　the　word



〃not〃　（nicht）　or　〃no〃　（kein）。　For　example；　we　say　〃the　farmer



brings　only　（allein）　grain　and　no　money〃；　or　〃No；　I　really　have　no



money；　but　only　（allein）　grain〃；　I　have　only　eaten　and　not　yet



drunk〃；　〃Did　you　write　it　only　and　not　read　it　over？〃　There　are　a



vast　number　of　such　everyday　cases。







In　all　these　phrases；　this　is　a　German　usage；　even　though　it　is



not　the　Latin　or　Greek　usage。　It　is　the　nature　of　the　German



tongue　to　add　〃allein〃　in　order　that　〃nicht〃　or　〃kein〃　may　be



clearer　and　more　complete。　To　be　sure；　I　can　also　say　〃The　farmer



brings　grain　and　no　（kein）　money；　but　the　words　〃kein　money〃　do



not　sound　as　full　and　clear　as　if　I　were　to　say；　〃the　farmer



brings　allein　grain　and　kein　money。〃　Here　the　word　〃allein〃　helps



the　word　〃kein〃　so　much　that　it　becomes　a　clear　and　complete



German　expression。







We　do　not　have　to　ask　about　the　literal　Latin　or　how　we　are　to



speak　German　…　as　these　asses　do。　Rather　we　must　ask　the　mother



in　the　home；　the　children　on　the　street；　the　common　person　in　the



market　about　this。　We　must　be　guided　by　their　tongue；　the　manner



of　their　speech；　and　do　our　translating　accordingly。　Then　they



will　understand　it　and　recognize　that　we　are　speaking　German　to



them。







For　instance；　Christ　says：　Ex　abundatia　cordis　os　loquitur。　If　I



am　to　follow　these　asses；　they　will　lay　the　original　before　me



literally　and　translate　it　as：　〃Out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart



the　mouth　speaks。〃　Is　that　speaking　with　a　German　tongue？　What



German　could　understand　something　like　that？　What　is　this



〃abundance　of　the　heart？〃　No　German　can　say　that；　unless；　of



course；　he　was　trying　to　say　that　someone　was　altogether　too



magnanimous；　or　too　courageous；　though　even　that　would　not　yet　be



correct；　as　〃abundance　of　the　heart〃　is　not　German；　not　any　more



than　〃abundance　of　the　house；　〃abundance　of　the　stove〃　or



〃abundance　of　the　bench〃　is　German。　But　the　mother　in　the　home



and　the　common　man　say　this：　〃What　fills　the　heart　overflows　the



mouth。〃　That　is　speaking　with　the　proper　German　tongue　of　the



kind　I　have　tried　for；　although　unfortunately　not　always



successfully。　The　literal　Latin　is　a　great　barrier　to　speaking



proper　German。







So；　as　the　traitor　Judas　says　in　Matthew　26：　〃Ut　quid　perditio



haec？〃　and　in　Mark　14：　〃Ut　quid　perditio　iste　unguenti　facta　est？〃



Subsequently；　for　these　literalist　asses　I　would　have　to　translate



it：　〃Why　has　this　loss　of　salve　occurred？〃　But　what　kind　of



German　is　this？　What　German　says　〃loss　of　salve　occurred〃？　And



if　he　does　understand　it　at　all；　he　would　think　that　the　salve　is



lost　and　must　be　looked　for　and　found　again；　even　though　that　is



still　obscure　and　uncertain。　Now　if　that　is　good　German　why　do



they　not　come　out　and　make　us　a　fine；　new　German　testament　and　let



Luther's　testament　be？　I　think　that　would　really　bring　out　their



talents。　But　a　German　would　say　〃Ut　quid；　etc。。〃　as　〃Why　this



waste？〃　or　〃Why　this　extravagance？〃　Even　〃it　is　a　shame　about　the



ointment〃　…　these　are　good　German；　in　which　one　can　understand



that　Magdalene　had　wasted　the　salve　she　poured　out　and　had　done



wrong。　That　was　what　Judas　meant　as　he　thought　he　could　have　used



it　better。







Now　when　the　angel　greets　Mary；　he　says：　〃Greetings　to　you；　Mary；



full　of　grace；　the　Lord　is　with　you。〃　Well　up　to　this　point；　this



has　simply　been　translated　from　the　simple　Latin；　but　tell　me　is



that　good　German？　Since　when　does　a　German　speak　like　that　…　being



〃full　of　grace〃？　One　would　have　to　think　about　a　keg　〃full　of〃



beer　or　a　purse　〃full　of〃　money。　So　I　translated　it：　〃You



gracious　one〃。　This　way　a　German　can　at　last　think　about　what　the



angel　meant　by　his　greeting。　Yet　the　papists　rant　about　me



corrupting　the　angelic　greeting　…　and　I　still　have　not　used　the



most　satisfactory　German　translation。　What　if　I　had　used　the　most



satisfactory　German　and　translated　the　salutation：　〃God　says



hello；　Mary　dear〃　（for　that　is　what　the　angel　was　intending　to　say



and　what　he　would　have　said　had　he　even　been　German！）。　If　I　had；



I　believe　that　they　would　have　hanged　themselves　out　of　their



great　devotion　to　dear　Mary　and　because　I　have　destroyed　the



greeting。







Yet　why　should　I　be　concerned　about　their　ranting　and　raving？　I



will　not　stop　them　from　translating　as　they　want。　But　I　too　shall



translate　as　I　want　and　not　to　please　them；　and　whoever　does　not



like　it　can　just　ignore　it　and　keep　his　criticism　to　himself；　for



I　will　neither　look　at　nor　listen　to　it。　They　do　not　have　to



answer　for　or　bear　responsibility　for　my　translation。　Listen　up；



I　shall　say　〃gracious　Mary〃　and　〃dear　Mary〃；　and　they　can　say



〃Mary　full　of　grace〃。　Anyone　who　knows　German　also　knows　what　an



expressive　word　〃dear〃（liebe）　is：　dear　Mary；　dear　God；　the　dear



emperor；　the　dear　prince；　the　dear　man；　the　dear　child。　I　do　not



know　if　one　can　say　this　word　〃liebe〃　in　Latin　or　in　other



languages　with　so　much　depth　of　emotion　that　it　pierces　the　heart



and　echoes　throughout　as　it　does　in　our　tongue。







I　think　that　St。　Luke；　as　a　master　of　the　Hebrew　and　Greek



tongues；　wanted　to　clarify　and　articulate　the　Greek　word



〃kecharitomene〃　that　the　angel　used。　And　I　think　that　the　angel



Gabriel　spoke　with　Mary　just　as　he　spoke　with　Daniel；　when　he



called　him　〃Chamudoth〃　and　〃Ish　chamudoth；　vir　desiriorum〃；　that



is　〃Dear　Daniel。〃　That　is　the　way　Gabriel　speaks；　as　we　can　see



in　Daniel。　Now　if　I　were　to　literally　translate　the　words　of　the



angel；　and　use　the　skills　of　these　asses；　I　would　have　to



translate　it　as　〃Daniel；　you　man　of　desires〃　or　〃Daniel；　you　man



of　lust〃。　Oh；　that　would　be　beautiful　German！　A　German　would；　of



course；　recognize　〃Man〃；　〃Lueste〃　and　〃begirunge〃　as　being　German



words；　although　not　altogether　pure　as　〃lust〃　and　〃begir〃　would　be



better。　But　when　those　words　are　put　together　you　get　〃you　man　of



desires〃　and　no　German　is　going　to　understand　that。　He　might　even



think　that　Daniel　is　full　of　lustful　desires。　Now　wouldn't　that



be　a　fine　translation！　So　I　have　to　let　the　literal　words　go　and



try　to　discover　how　the　German　says　what　the　Hebrew　〃ish



chamudoth〃　expresses。　I　discover　that　the　German　says　this；　〃You



dear　Daniel〃；　〃you　dear　Mary〃；　or　〃you　gracious　maiden〃；　〃you



lovely　maiden〃；　〃you　gentle　girl〃　and　so　on。　A　translator　must



have　a　large　vocabulary　so　he　can　have　more　words　for　when　a



particular　one　just　does　not　fit　in　the　context。







Why　should　I　talk　about　translating　so　much？　I　would　need　an



entire　year　were　I　to　point　out　the　reasons　and　concerns　behind　my



words。　I　have　learned　what　an　art　and　job　translating　is　by



experience；　so　I　will　not　tolerate　some　papal　ass　or　mule　as　my



critic；　or　judge。　They　have　not　tried　the　task。　If　anyone　does



not　like　my　translations；　they　can　ignore　it；　and　may　the　devil



repay　the　one　who　dislikes　or　criticizes　my　translations　without



my　knowledge　or　permission。　Should　it　be　criticized；　I　will　do　it



myself。　If　I　do　not　do　it；　then　they　can　leave　my　translations　in



peace。　They　can　each　do　a　translation　that　suits　them　…　what　do　I



care？







To　this　I　can；　with　good　conscience；　give　witness　…　that　I　gave　my



utmost　effort　and　care　and　I　had　no　ulterior　motives。　I　have　not



taken　or　wanted　even　a　small　coin　in　return。　Neither　have　I　made



any　by　it。　God　knows　that　I　have　not　even　sought　honor　by　it；　but



I　have　done　it　as　a　service　to　the　blessed　Christians　and　to　the



honor　of　the　One　who　sits　above　who　blesses　me　every　hour　of　my



life　that　had　I　translated　a　thousand　times　more　diligently；　I



should　not　have　deserved　to　live　or　have　a　sound　eye　for　even　a



single　hour。　All　I　am　and　have　to　offer　is　from　his　mercy　and



grace　…　indeed　of　his　precious　blood　and　bitter　sweat。　Therefore；



God　willing；　all　of　it　will　also　serve　to　his　honor；　joyfully　and



sincerely。　I　may　be　insulted　by　the　scribblers　and　papists　but



true　Christians；　along　with　Christ；　their　Lord；　bless　me。



Further；　I　am　more　than　amply　rewarded　if　just　one　Christian



acknowledge　me　as　a　workman　with　integrity。　I　do　not　care　about



the　papists；　as　they　are　not　good　enough　to　acknowledge　my　work



and；　if　they　were　to　bless　me；　it　would　break　my　heart。　I　may　be



insulted　by　their　highest　praise　and　honor；　but　I　will　still　be　a



doctor；　even　a　distinguished　one。　I　am　certain　that　they　shall



never　take　from　me　until　the　final　day。







Yet　I　have　not　just　gone　ahead；　ignoring　the　exact　wording　in　the



original。　Instead；　with　great　care；　I　have；　along　with　my



helpers；　gone　ahead　and　have　kept　literally　to　the　original；



without　the　slightest　deviation；　wherever　it　appeared　that　a



passage　was　crucial。　For　instance；　in　John　6　Christ　says：　〃Him



has　God　the　Father　set　his　seal　upon　（versiegelt）。〃　It　would　be



more　clear　in　German　to　say　〃Him　has　God　the　Father　signified



（gezeiehent）〃　or　even　〃God　the　Father　means　him。〃　But　rather　than



doing　violence　to　the　original；　I　have　done　violence　to　the　German



tongue。　Ah；　translating　is　not　ev