Among the difficulties of international business travel is finding a good translator.
Executive editor Terry Muck has worked with translators in Sri Lanka (for his doctoral research), Egypt (for an article on the state of Christianity in that country), and the Soviet Union (for this issue’s cover story).
In Egypt Terry was halfway through delivering a sermon when someone in the congregation who knew both Arabic and English stopped the service. She pointed out that the translator was applying Terry’s insights to a different psalm from the one Terry was expounding.
And while listening to Luis Palau in the Soviet Union, Terry asked his own translator how the evangelist’s translator was conveying certain frequent phrases, such as “My dear Russian friends.”
“Well, he is using words I wouldn’t use,” Terry’s translator tactfully replied.
Every language has its nuances, offering the translator options in shades of meaning. So every translation is by nature an approximation. Even a President of the United States can run into pitfalls, as Jimmy Carter did when his translator conveyed a bit more passion than the President intended by saying he wanted to understand the Polish peoples’ desires for the future.
“The imprecision of translation always amazes me,” says Terry. “And considering the difficulty of getting the nuances right, it is a good thing Palau keeps his gospel message simple.”
DAVID NEFF, Senior Associate Editor
Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Our digital archives are a work in progress. Let us know if corrections need to be made.
Annual & Monthly subscriptions available.
- Print & Digital Issues of CT magazine
- Complete access to every article on ChristianityToday.com
- Unlimited access to 65+ years of CT’s online archives
- Member-only special issues
- Learn more
More from this Issue
Read These Next
- TrendingAmerican Christians Should Stand with Israel under AttackWhile we pray for peace, we need moral clarity about this war.
- From the MagazineI Wanted a Bigger God Than My Hindu Guru OfferedAs my doubts about his teachings grew, so did a secret fascination with Jesus.
- Editor's PickCare for the Environment Is Biblical. It’s Also a Witness to Environmentalists.Do activists often invest their work with religious significance? All the more reason for Christians to be discerning co-laborers.