Translation and translatability of religious texts

"To study the political forces behind the translation and its process has been  one of the thrust  areas in the field of Translation Studies .There is always a motivation behind a translation and its construction  of meaning. This motivation may be sociocultural and political. From the  very act of selecting a text to interpret it in translation is a conscious deliberate process which cannot resist sociocultural and political forces. This paper has studied some of the important motivating factors in translation, on translation and for translation. In other words, this paper will try to answer the following questions. How these forces act in translation? What happens in translation? What is the translation for?"

Master's thesis at the University of Colorado Boulder, 2017

This thesis examines the role of translation and the formation of Vajrayāna Buddhist subjects in religious transmission through an analysis of the tantric Buddhist ritual practice, the Sādhana of Mahāmudrā (SOM). Reported to be revealed as a Mind treasure (དགོང་གཏེར་) by the Tibetan reincarnate teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (ཆོས་རྒྱམ་དྲུང་པ་; 1940-1987) while on retreat in Bhutan in 1968, and subsequently translated into English by Trungpa Rinpoche and his student Richard Arthure (1940- ), the SOM played an important role in the early process of the transnational transmission of Vajrayāna Buddhism to the ‘West.’ Nevertheless, after more than fifty years of practice by individuals and communities around the globe, the role of the SOM in this process has yet to be studied. Moreover, scholarship on the role of Vajrayāna rituals in contemporary religious transmission is also in its nascency. In this thesis, I aim to address this lacuna through a study of the revelation of this text, its strategic translation, and its role in the making of Vajrayāna Buddhist subjects. Given that the SOM emerged at a pivotal moment as Trungpa Rinpoche re-evaluated how to best teach the buddhadharma in the ‘West,’ I argue that its partially domesticating translation was a strategic means of inducting ‘Western’ students into a foreign ritual world. As such, I argue that the SOM was a skillful method to introduce ‘Western,’ non-Buddhist students to the Vajrayāna through an iterative process of ritual enactment and training in a subjectivity both described and prescribed within the text. As such, in this thesis I analyze the important role that the SOM played in the early formation of Vajrayāna subjectivities as Vajrayāna Buddhism came to North America and in preparing the ground for the later teachings that Trungpa Rinpoche would introduce to his students. This thesis informs my broader research question: how are new subjectivities created in the process of religious transmission across radically different cultural contexts? More generally, it contributes to emergent conversations around performativity in Buddhist ritual practice and will also prove relevant to those working on the intersection of ritual practice and religious transmission in other traditions.

The article discusses the background and implications of the title “the God of Heaven” used as an epithet for YHW in Elephantine. It argues that one should look for the background in the winged symbol used in both Achaemenid and Egyptian iconography. In the Achaemenid–Egyptian context, the title “the God of Heaven” worked as a transmedial, textual reference to the winged symbol that was common to both Achaemenid and Egyptian iconography. In Egypt during the Achaemenid period, the reference of the winged symbol and the title “the God of Heaven” was ultimately the Achaemenid dynasty god Ahura Mazda and perhaps the Egyptian king-protector Horus-Behdety. In the identification of YHW with “the God of Heaven,” we witness an interpretatio persica et aegyptiaca of YHW into the supreme gods of the Achaemenids and the Egyptians.

Предмет на анализа на овој труд е Зборникот од областа на теологијата чиј автор е протојереј Јован Таковски. Трудот, прво се осврнува на структурата на Зборникот, односно, на начинот на претставување на термините утврден уште во првиот број. Имено, даден е заглавниот збор, потоа дефиницијата и преводните еквиваленти. Сепак, Зборникот се одделува со некои карактеристики, кои се должат на доменот на кој припаѓаат термините, а кои се однесуваат на
должината на дефинициите и на јазиците на кои се претставени преводните еквиваленти. Трудот, исто така, разгледува и одредени недоследности во однос на терминолошкото преставување, особено на полисемичните термини.
Конечно, предмет на анализа се и француските еквиваленти, кај кои постои можност за исправка на одредени ортографски грешки, но и за надополнување со попрецизни преводни еквиваленти.

Given its role in cultural exchange and the advancement of human civilization, scriptural translation has always been and should continue to be an important part of translation studies. In contemporary China, however, the level of scholarly attention paid to the study of scriptural translation seems inadequate, a situation which stands in marked contrast to the rich history and the arduous practice of translating religious texts into Chinese. The situation has notably been improved by the first conference on religious translation held in Guangzhou in 2012, whose inter-disciplinary approach to the subject has received appreciation and warm response from scholars specializing in pertinent fields. As one of its initiators and organizers, the author attempts, in this paper, to give a historical account of that new development and then reflects on its contribution to translation studies in China. That is followed by a review of the second conference on religious translation, held in Qingdao in 2013, organized on a larger scale and presenting a generally higher level of academic expertise. The paper ends with a call to convene a third conference and eventually to create a framework for regular exchange of ideas among scholars and professional translators engaged in scriptural translation and to institutionalize this increasingly important field of inter-disciplinary collaboration, an endeavour which promises to contribute to the strengthening of the foundations of peace and prosperity.

Although the difficulties of translating the holy Word are recognized, Bahá'í institutions have always stressed the importance of translation. No approach to biblical or quranic translation corresponds completely to the Bahá'í ideal, just as no former religious leader combined Shoghi Effendi's unique dual role as Guardian and translator. Bahá'í institutions have defined the most salient theoretical issues relating to Bahá'í translation. In translating the Bahá'í writings, faithfulness to the original text is paramount. This is defined as reflecting the beauty of the original and accurately conveying the concepts of the original. Consultation is an integral part of the translation process, and translations of scripture are seen as a tool for education. Bahá'í translators today face a number of practical problems caused by a lack of resources, cultural differences, and linguistic underdevelopment.

Résumé
Tout en étant conscientes des difficultés inhérentes à la traduction des écrits saints, les institutions bahá'íes ont toujours mis l'accent sur l'importance de la traduction. Aucune approche de la traduction biblique ou coranique ne correspond exactement a l'idéal bahá'í, de même qu'aucun dirigeant religieux du passé n'a cumulé, comme Shoghi Effendi, les roles de Gardien et de traducteur. Les institutions bahá'ís ont défini les questions théoriques essentielles relatives à la traduction des écrits bahá'ís. Lorsqu'on traduit les ecrits bahá'ís, la fidélité par rapport au texte original est primordiale. Fidélité signifie ici refléter la beauté de l'original tout en communiquant avec précision les concepts qu'il contient. La consultation fait partie intégrante du processus traductionnel et la traduction des écrits saints est considérée comme un outil pédagogique. Les traducteurs bahá'ís de nos jours doivent affronter une serie de problèmes pratiques découlant d'un manque de ressources, de différences culturelles et d'un sous-développement linguistique.

Resumen
Aunque la traducción de la Palabra Sagrada es de reconocida dificultad, las instituciones bahá'ís han siempre subrayado la importancia de la traducción. Ningún patrón de traducción bíblica o coránica alcanza allegar al concepto bahá'í, al igual que ningún dirigente religioso de tiempos pasados combina la doble y única función de Guardián y traductor como lo hizo Shoghi Effendi. Las instituciones bahá'ís han definido los asuntos teoréticos más resaltantes relativo a la traducción bahá'í. Al traducir los escritos bahá'ís es principalísimo mantener fidelidad al texto original. Gana definición al compararse fielmente a la belleza del original y cuando da a entender precisamente los conceptos que aquel imparte. La consulta es parte íntegra del proceso de traducción, y a las traducciones de los escritos se les ve como instrumentos de la educatión. Los traductores bahá'ís tienen que enfrentarse a numerosos problemas de índole práctico causados por falta de recursos, diferencias culturales, y subdesarrollo linguístico.

A live webinar on translation studies and its implications for Bible translation was held on 20 August 2020. The goal was to answer the question: What insights can Bible translation practitioners glean from the field of translation studies? It is argued that the contribution of translation studies to Bible translation cannot be ignored; instead, translation studies is indispensable for Bible translation, especially in the planning, the establishment and the execution of a Bible translation project. After the introduction, the webinar focused on the nature of translation studies followed by the dissemination of translation knowledge for Bible translation. The conclusion listed the shifts that need to take place in Bible translation on the basis of its engagement with translation studies.

The 19 th century saw not only a spread of Christianity throughout West Africa, but also the translation of Christian texts into a large number of native languages in the area. Missionaries in the field were frequently involved in translation work and often documented their progress and considerations in their journals and letters. The written correspondence of agents of the Church Missionary Society active in Yorubaland (Western Nigeria) prove to be an invaluable source in reconstructing the translation process of the Bible and other Christian texts into Yoruba.

聖典コーランを訳す
There is a widespread belief that the Holy Qu'rān cannot be translated, either because of actual linguistic difficulties or because it would be sacrilegious to do so. Nevertheless, significant portions of the Qu'rān have been translated into numerous languages. Translation, in fact, dates from the ministry of the Prophet Mohammed Himself, and the doctrine of "Qu'rānic inimitability" developed only several centuries after His ascension. There is an ongoing debate, however, as to whether translations are scripture itself or merely a form of commentary, Translators must also decide whether to adopt a verse form in imitation of the original and to what extent potentially opaque Arabic loan words for Islamic concepts should be used. Because of the inherent ambiguity of the original text, decisions in the translation of certain key passages are often made on the basis of sectarian doctrinal teachings, rather than objective exegesis.

Behind the translated text, there is a process involved which has caused the translation. This process includes who? Why? What? How?  Who wants to translate and why, how and what it is going to translate? From the selection of the text to its translation raises lot of questions whose answers cannot isolate the subjective factors like a government agency, a religious group, publisher etc. When a translation is state-sponsored, it dictates its own terms and conditions, it has its own propaganda. When a translation is sponsored by a publishing company, it has its own criteria of translating it. Likewise, if a religious sect does a translation, it has its own dos and don'ts. If I am translating a text into my mother-tongue, I am dictated by my social community that I should translate this text this way or that way whatever my social being dictates me. At last, there is also the author who can also be an authority over the translator. These are the five major authorities behind a translation. These are the authorities who can do manipulation while translating a text into a language. This paper discusses the causal factors of a translation and their subjective roles.

The study aims at examining the problems the Qur?an translators encounter while translating the Qur?an. It is based on the translation of professional translator namely, Yusuf Ali. The translated text is compared to the original text to determine to which extent the translation reflects the real meaning of the original Qur?anic text. In short, the study sets out to identify the problematic areas in the translated Qur?anic texts on the syntactic and semantic levels. The study is an intersection between Qur?anic exegeses (tafsir) and applied linguistics. The researcher consults different books on translation theories, as well as Qur?anic exegeses (tafsir) to facilitate the process of analyzing Surah Al Hujurat (The Chambers). The researcher opts for eclecticism, instead of confining to a particular rigid model or approach, in the process of analyzing and evaluating the problems encountered in Arabic-English translation of the Qur?anic text in general, and Surah Al Hujurat (The Chambers) in particular. The study concludes that the Qur?an translator, compared to other literary genres, faces many difficulties in conveying the Qur?anic ST message. The selected translations of the Holy Qur?an have failed to measure up the depth of the Qur?anic message, its originality and the connotative shades of meanings of the original expression. It was found out that most translation strategies adopted by Ali were not near to the original text, where he resorted to explain vague words, however, committed many semantic and syntactic errors as shown in analysis of data.