Translating the Bible is a vexed task, as a new book shows
“The Word” demonstrates the complexity of rendering millennia-old texts into modern English
DODGY TRANSLATION is not always of great import. You may be able to work out a new gadget’s instructions even if they are garbled. If the joke you have translated with your smartphone leaves your audience baffled, you risk nothing more than embarrassment.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “In the beginning was the Word”
Culture January 21st 2023
- New films in France tackle race, gender, exile and belonging
- “Pegasus” lifts the lid on a sophisticated piece of spyware
- A philosopher offers four case studies in failure
- “O Caledonia” teaches girls how to grow up
- In “Still Pictures” Janet Malcolm turns her pen on herself
- Translating the Bible is a vexed task, as a new book shows
From the January 21st 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Culture
Performing in a cinema near you: Bob Dylan and Maria Callas
Behind the boom in musical biopics
Can Magnus Carlsen convince people to watch chess?
The world’s best player hopes that glamming up the ancient game can make stars of its players
Are internet firms the problem, or are you the problem?
A veteran critic of technology offers his take on a familiar target
The Michelin Guide is no longer the only tastemaker in town
How is it adapting to changing eating habits?
Why “Emilia Pérez” is loved by Hollywood and hated by everyone else
And the Oscar for Worst Picture goes to…
Tofu: never judge a food by its political reputation
Think outside the white plastic box. Here is a carnivore’s guide to tofu