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he may retain every peculiarity of his original, but who is to assure
him, who is to assure Mr. Newman himself, that, when he has done
this, he has done that for which Mr. Newman enjoins this to be done,
adhered closely to Homer s manner and habit of thought?
Evidently the translator needs some more practical directions than
these. No one can tell him how Homer affected the Greeks; but there
are those who can tell him how Homer affects them. These are
scholars; who possess, at the same time with knowledge of Greek,
adequate poetical taste and feeling. No translation will seem to them
of much worth compared with the original; but they alone can say
whether the translation produces more or less the same effect upon
them as the original. They are the only competent tribunal in the
matter: the Greeks are dead; the unlearned Englishman has not the
data for judging; and no man can safely confide in his own single
judgment of his own work. Let not the translator, then, trust to his
notions of what the ancient Greeks would have thought of him; he
will lose himself in the vague. Let him not trust to what the ordinary
English reader thinks of him; he will be taking the blind for his guide.
Let him not trust to his own judgment of his own work; he may be
misled by individual caprices. Let him ask how his work affects those
who both know Greek and can appreciate poetry.
Chapter 7
Central texts and central cultures
The translators of the Authorized Version warn in their preface that he
that meddleth with men s religion in any part, meddleth with their
custom, nay, with their freehold. If a text is considered to embody the
core values of a culture, if it functions as that culture s central text,
translations of it will be scrutinized with the greatest of care, since
unacceptable translations may well be seen to subvert the very basis of
the culture itself. This is what Sir Thomas More accuses Tyndale of
when he makes the charge that Tyndale changed in his translation the
common known words to the intent to make a change in the faith. If,
on the other hand, a certain culture considers itself central with regard
to other cultures, it is likely to treat the texts produced by those cultures
in the rather cavalier manner Herder deplores in the French translations
of Homer: Homer must enter France a captive and dress according to
their fashion, so as not to offend their eyes. Edward Fitzgerald, a member
of the central culture that succeeded in France, actually boasts: It is an
amusement for me to take what liberties I like with these Persians.
It is in the treatment of texts that play a central role within a
culture and in the way a central culture translates texts produced by
cultures it considers peripheral, that the importance of such factors as
ideology, poetics, and the Universe of Discourse is most obviously
revealed.
70
Central texts and central cultures 71
Sir Thomas More, 1477 1535 English humanist, writer, and
statesman.
Extract from the conclusion of the second book of the
Confutation of Tyndale s Answer, 1532.
For every man well knoweth that the intent and purpose of my dialogue
was none other, but to make the people perceive that Tyndale changed
in his translation the common known words to the intent to make a
change in the faith. As for example that he changed the word church
into this word congregation, because he would bring it in question which
were the church and set forth Luther s heresy that the church which we
should believe and obey, is not the common known body of all Christian
realms remaining in the faith of Christ& but that the church which we
should believe and obey, were some secret unknown sort of evil living
and worse believing heretics. And that he changed priest into senior
because he intended to set forth Luther s heresy teaching that priesthood
is no sacrament but the office of a lay man or a lay woman appointed by
the people to preach. And that he changed penance into repenting because
he would set forth Luther s heresy teaching that penance is no sacrament.
And I made my book to good Christian people that know such
heresies for heresies to give them warning that by scripture of his
own false forging (for so is his false translation, and not the
scripture of god) he should not beguile them, and make them ween
the thing were otherwise than it is in deed. For as for such as are so
mad all ready, to take those heresies for other than heresies, and are
thereby them selves no faithful folk but heretics, if they list not to
learn and leave off, but longer to lie still in their false belief: it were
all in vain to give them warning thereof. For when their wills be
bent thereto, and their hearts set thereon: there will no warning
serve them. And therefore sith Tyndale hath here confessed in his
defense that he made such changes for the setting forth of such
things as I said: it is enough for good Christian men that know
these things for heresies, to abhor and burn up his books.
And yet defending him self so fondly, and teaching open heresies
so shamefully: he sayeth it appeareth that there was no cause to
burn his translation, wherein such changes be found as ye see, and
being changed for such causes as him self confesseth that is to wit
for a foundation of such pestilent heresies as him self affirmeth and
writeth in his abominable books: he might much better if he cut a
man s throat in the open street, say there were no cause to hang
72 Translation/History/Culture
him but bid men seek up his knife and see it him safe. This might
he in good faith much better say then, than he may now say that
there is no cause to burn his translation. With the falsehood
whereof and his false heresies brought in there withal: he hath
killed and destroyed diverse men, and may hereafter many, some in
body, some in soul, and some in both twain.
Anonymous
Extract from The Translators to the Reader, the
translators preface to the 1611 Authorized Version of the
Bible.
For he that meddleth with men s religion in any part, meddleth
with their custom, nay, with their freehold; and though they find no
content in that which they have, yet they cannot abide to hear of
altering.
Translation it is that openeth the window, to let in the light; that
breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the
curtain, that we may look into the most holy place; that removeth
the cover of the well, that we may come by the water, even as Jacob
rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, by which means
the flocks of Laban were watered. Indeed without translation into
the vulgar tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob s
well (which was deep) without a bucket or something to draw with.
Therefore blessed be they, and most honoured be their name,
that break the ice, and giveth onset upon that which helpeth
forward to the saving of souls& Yet for all that, as nothing is begun
and perfected at the same time, and the latter thoughts are thought
to be the wiser: so, if we building upon their foundation that went
before us, and being holpen by their labours, do endeavour to make
better what they left so good; no man, we are sure, hath cause to
mislike us; they, we persuade ourselves, if they were alive, would
thank us.
And what can the King command to be done, that will bring
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