10-04-2008, 03:13 PM
Shlama all--
Thirdwoe, Baruch also sends his thanks to you BTW. We want to be as open and honest as possible about how decisions were made and understand that in some ways translations are never finished. I do think the Aramaic side is "finished" but because of how it got fixed anciently and what principles were used, etc. And again, just so it is clear, I accept total responsibility for the bad reading there. Doesn't matter how it happened--it may be more "low tech" such as typing too late at night or whatever--but we are very hopeful that this is an extreme rarity.
In terms of "oppressors" it is more a matter of style and personal choice. "molestors" implies certain things now that it didn't necessarily 150 years ago. Our culture has changed to the degree that words used by Murdock and Etheridge in some cases are either little understood or have acquired extra meanings since that create ideas past their original intentions.
Then if we go down that list of what is easiest to understand in English, I just felt "oppressors" was better than say "harassers". Just because a dictionary puts meanings in a list also doesn't mean that choice #1 is always more likely than meaning choice #4, so it has more to do with individual context than a kind of lexical popularity contest, but I am sure you know that well.
As for Victor Alexander, I have known of his translation and had printouts of it going back to like 1997. I think you will find that, love it or not, that Victor's style is just a lot more expansive and less literal than the others, including me. I have always loved his footnotes more than his base text and his tendency to targum a bit more than straight translate has advantages and disadvantages. I pass no judgment on the man at all, but just to say that you should not be surprised if Victor's readings always seem "the odd man out". Doesn't mean that "odd man" can't be right or even brilllaint. But the differences will be stark compared to the rest of the pack.
Hope this helps and again, thank you for your help today.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Thirdwoe, Baruch also sends his thanks to you BTW. We want to be as open and honest as possible about how decisions were made and understand that in some ways translations are never finished. I do think the Aramaic side is "finished" but because of how it got fixed anciently and what principles were used, etc. And again, just so it is clear, I accept total responsibility for the bad reading there. Doesn't matter how it happened--it may be more "low tech" such as typing too late at night or whatever--but we are very hopeful that this is an extreme rarity.
In terms of "oppressors" it is more a matter of style and personal choice. "molestors" implies certain things now that it didn't necessarily 150 years ago. Our culture has changed to the degree that words used by Murdock and Etheridge in some cases are either little understood or have acquired extra meanings since that create ideas past their original intentions.
Then if we go down that list of what is easiest to understand in English, I just felt "oppressors" was better than say "harassers". Just because a dictionary puts meanings in a list also doesn't mean that choice #1 is always more likely than meaning choice #4, so it has more to do with individual context than a kind of lexical popularity contest, but I am sure you know that well.
As for Victor Alexander, I have known of his translation and had printouts of it going back to like 1997. I think you will find that, love it or not, that Victor's style is just a lot more expansive and less literal than the others, including me. I have always loved his footnotes more than his base text and his tendency to targum a bit more than straight translate has advantages and disadvantages. I pass no judgment on the man at all, but just to say that you should not be surprised if Victor's readings always seem "the odd man out". Doesn't mean that "odd man" can't be right or even brilllaint. But the differences will be stark compared to the rest of the pack.
Hope this helps and again, thank you for your help today.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth