THE PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATING THE BIBLE

When applying the Linguistic Theory of Translation (LTT) to translating the Bible (here we concentrate on the New Testament), we have to take into account the time that has elapsed since the text was written. The impact of the translated text on the present reader can never be the same as that of the original text on its ancient addressees. Today the great antiquity of the Bible increases its attraction in spite of the fact that it is difficult to understand. This means that the gap cannot be bridged by the translation only. The text can be brought closer to the contemporary reader only by means of a meta-text (additional information, homily, commentary). From a good Bible translation the reader may deduce what passages demand an explanation which cannot be offered by the translation alone. The second part of the paper discusses the reasons for a new translation of a text that has already been translated and the related problems.