The Art of Bible Translation

Robert Alter; Robert Alter

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The Art of Bible Translation

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Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2019

About this book

From the recipient of the National Jewish Book Award for Lifetime Achievement, a "hugely entertaining and irreverent" (Adam Gopnik, New Yorker) account of the art of translating the Hebrew Bible into English

In this brief book, award-winning biblical translator and acclaimed literary critic Robert Alter offers a personal and passionate account of what he learned about the art of Bible translation over the two decades he spent completing his own English version of the Hebrew Bible.

Alter’s literary training gave him the advantage of seeing that a translation of the Bible can convey the text’s meaning only by trying to capture the powerful and subtle literary style of the biblical Hebrew, something the modern English versions don’t do justice to. The Bible’s style, Alter writes, “is not some sort of aesthetic embellishment of the ‘message’ of Scripture but the vital medium through which the biblical vision of God, human nature, history, politics, society, and moral value is conveyed.” And, as the translators of the King James Version knew, the authority of the Bible is inseparable from its literary authority.

For these reasons, the Bible can be brought to life in English only by re-creating its literary virtuosity, and Alter discusses the principal aspects of style in the Hebrew Bible that any translator should try to reproduce: word choice, syntax, word play and sound play, rhythm, and dialogue. In the process, he provides an illuminating and accessible introduction to biblical style that also offers insights about the art of translation far beyond the Bible.

Author / Editor information

Robert Alter is professor of the Graduate School and emeritus professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, for which he received the National Jewish Book Award for Lifetime Achievement. His other awards include the Robert Kirsch Award for Lifetime Contribution to American Letters, among other awards. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Reviews

"In The Art of Bible Translation, Alter provides an intriguing insight into the complexities he faced in producing, single-handed, his translation of the Hebrew Bible. It makes fascinating reading."---Neville Teller, Jerusalem Post --- "An essential companion volume to [Alter’s] own translations."---Jonathan Kirsch, Jewish Journal --- "Alter’s book is a short masterclass in how to appreciate biblical language. We may read through the veil of translation but it helps us glimpse the colour of the original."---Simon Rocker, Jewish Chronicle --- "Alter provides a refreshing look into the complex work of translating the Bible." --- "In this slim work, Mr. Alter sets out the principles that govern his translation while also delivering his pointed commentary on almost all other modern versions."---Eric Ormsby, Wall Street Journal --- "In a series of short essays, [Alter] delves into the minutiae of word choice, syntax and rhythm that make up the substance of a translator’s work." --- "Hugely entertaining and irreverent."---Adam Gopnik, New Yorker

Topics

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Frontmatter
i

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Contents
vii

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Autobiographical Prelude
ix

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Chapter 1. The Eclipse of Bible Translation
1

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Chapter 2. Syntax
27

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Chapter 3. Word Choice
45

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Chapter 4. Sound Play and Word Play
65

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Chapter 5. Rhythm
82

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Chapter 6. The Language of Dialogue
103

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Suggested Readings
123

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Index
125

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A Note on the Type
129

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Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

May 20, 2019

eBook ISBN:

9780691189253

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691189253

eBook ISBN: 9780691189253

Keywords for this book

Poetry; Narrative; Prose; Bible translations; Verb; Biblical poetry; Diction; Psalms; King James Version; Word play; Bible; Biblical Hebrew; Hebrew Bible; Pun; Rashi; Bible translations into English; Modern English Version; Amnon; Modern English; Illustration; Parataxis; Writer; Joab; Alliteration; Ehud; Font Bureau; Jephthah; Septuagint; The Other Hand; Ambiguity; Hebrew language; Revised English Bible; Writing; Flood myth; Etymology; Biblical literalism; Inference; Esau; Elohim; Franz Rosenzweig; Poetic diction; Martin Buber; Matthew Carter; Translation; Circumlocution; Absalom; Book of Deuteronomy; Ecclesiastes; Books of Samuel; Noun; Usage; Adjective; New English Bible; English poetry; Typeface; Vladimir Nabokov; Jacob and Esau; Euphemism; Vocabulary; Suggestion; Decorum; Everett Fox; Consonant; Verbosity; J. (newspaper); Phrase; Animal sacrifice; Goy; Metonymy; Potiphar

Audience(s) for this book

For a non-specialist adult audience

Princeton University Press

The Art of Bible Translation

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

Autobiographical Prelude

Chapter 1. The Eclipse of Bible Translation

Chapter 2. Syntax

Chapter 3. Word Choice

Chapter 4. Sound Play and Word Play

Chapter 5. Rhythm

Chapter 6. The Language of Dialogue

Suggested Readings

Index

A Note on the Type

Bibliographic data