Why was the Kingdom Interlinear Translation published?

by VM44 37 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Narkissos

  Hello Earnest,

  I think it is more likely the reason was uniformity so that opposers couldn't point to inconsistencies with the same word being rendered differently in different countries.

  I don't think that was the point. Transliteration will of necessity be different in every language: the natural equivalent for Hebrew heth will be "ch" in German or "j" in Spanish -- not to mention other alphabets or non-alphabetic languages.

  Insisting that the transliteration be made from the English rather than the original seems pretty silly and hazardous to me. For instance, the letter h in the WT transliteration (as far as I can remember it) of the Hebrew could stand for a hé, for half a heth (= hh) or for the "soft" or "fricative" pronunciation of the begadkepat (bh, gh, dh, kh, ph, th). Very misleading to a translator who has no real idea of the original language.

  Any true "Bible Society" would make sure that its translators have received a basic linguistical education. Only the WT"BS" seems content with the rule "the least they know, the best".

  Of course there are exceptions to this rule. The "brother" who translated the NWT into French took the time to learn both Hebrew and Greek and made a very good job (within the limits of the translation options of the English NWT, as he himself admitted). And the Brooklyn headquarters respected him and his work. As a result the French NWT was published very late (1974) but was better than many others. Unfortunately the 1995 revision, probably by someone else, did destroy much of his work (from what I have seen of it).

  Back to the KIT: am I right in thinking that this publication was NEVER translated in any language other than English? -- it would have been a very easy thing to do...

  Best regards,

  Narkissos
• 

  RR

  Did it have a message ..."This book will self-destruct if not use properly"
• 

  Sirona

  The reason why the KIT of the NWT'S Greek Scriptures was published was an earnest effort by ther NWT Committee to help lovers of God;s Word to get acquainted with the contents of the original Koine Greek text of the Christian Greek Scriptures.

  JW speak.

  Sirona
• 

  jws

  Speaking of the KIT, I remember reading on this board that somebody was doing a project of comparing the two versions to see what they changed. I think they may have also been comparing it against less biased sources. Is anybody aware of this project and how it might be going?
• 

  Leolaia

  Hmmmm, too bad IPA wasn't more used and known by the general public....
• 

  Narkissos

  Hmmmm, too bad IPA wasn't more used and known by the general public....

  A rather common yet fatal flaw for a "universal" linguistic tool, isn't it?

  Besides, I wonder how IPA would work for a dead language... As a Hebrew student I would rather have my heth and soft kaph distinct than confused into a supposed X...
• 

  Mary

  I think Yerusalyim's answer is probably the real reason this book got published..........
• 

  onacruse

  Earnest, as we've discussed, I find your experiences as a JW (in the venue of independent biblical exploration and personal research) considerably unusual.

  Who knows...if I'd been going to the congregation you describe, maybe I'd have found enough like-minded souls to make me have stayed as a JW.

  Something for us to chat about again...maybe this weekend? (I'm finally gonna get a couple days off from work...wheww!)

  Best regards,

  Craig
• 

  Athanasius

  Bil Cetnar called the 1969 KIT the "Purple People Eater."
• 

  Earnest

  Hi Narkissos,

  Thanks for your comments on transliteration. As usual, I find them well-reasoned and convincing and must admit I hadn't thought it through clearly. I was actually thinking more of translation than transliteration in stating my conclusions.

  onacruse,

  What are you doing back here ?? Do you have no self-control ? Who let you in is what I want to know ? Only joking...it is only a pleasure to see you here again. I ought not to paint too rosy a picture of the congregation I associate with as it is not without its problems. Until recently I spent more than a year in boycott as I talk with my feet when my mouth is ineffective. I think had you been in this congregation you probably would have stayed, you most certainly would have had the choice.

  Regards,

  Earnest