Two Lenten prefaces raise questions about the judgment of the translator\/editor and her\/his\/their competence.<\/p>\n
1. The Lenten Preface 2 reads:<\/p>\n
\u2018.. For you have given your children a sacred time for the renewing and purifying of their hearts, that, freed from all disordered affections, they may so deal with the things of this passing world \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Sacred\u2019 presumably attempts to render the Latin praecipuum<\/em>. But that\u2019s a paraphrase and does not fit the context. The point about Lent is that it is special, a time set apart, and \u2018sacred\u2019 is too weak to convey that.<\/p>\n The Latin salubriter<\/em> (salutary, for salvation or health or well-being) is not rendered in our English version, so far as I can see.<\/p>\n The expression \u2018disordered affections\u2019 (Latin is inordinatis affectibus<\/em>) has a clinical ring to it, and is too redolent of the language used by the Holy See\u2019s departments and some officials when referring to gay people. Whatever the intention of those who use such language, it is often heard as offensive. The judgment of the translator\/editor is questionable here.<\/p>\n To translate as \u2018inordinate affections\u2019 would remove the dubious reference but still remain somewhat impenetrable. I\u2019m not sure how much \u2018inordinate\u2019 might be construed as \u2018excessive.\u2019 To my ear (and I am not the OED!) it seems often to be used with that sense.<\/p>\n Also, isn\u2019t \u2018deal with\u2019 (Latin is incumberent<\/em>) too colloquial here? Wouldn\u2019t \u2018use\u2019 or \u2018make use of\u2019 or even \u2018attend to\u2019 be better?<\/p>\n What about this as an alternative?<\/p>\n \u2026 because you have established for the well-being of your children <\/p>\n 2. The Preface for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord reads:<\/p>\n \u2018.. For the Virgin Mary heard with faith that the Christ was to be born \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n The Latin has: a caelesti nuntio Virgo fidenter audivit<\/em> \u2026<\/p>\n So what\u2019s happened to the \u2018heavenly messenger\u2019 (caelesti nuntio<\/em>) in our English version? Here the competence of the translator\/editor is clearly wanting. It should be:<\/p>\n \u2018.. For from the heavenly Messenger the Virgin Mary heard with faith Or, with greater liberty:<\/p>\n \u2018For the Virgin Mary listened with faith It would be interesting to know what others make of these texts and how they might be improved.<\/p>\n Fr. Alan Griffiths is a priest of of Portsmouth Diocese, UK.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Two Lenten prefaces raise questions, one about judgment and one about competence.” – Alan Griffiths<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[719,572,1754,477],"class_list":["post-17761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-translation-new-missal","tag-comparing-translations","tag-fr-alan-griffiths","tag-preface","tag-translation-issues"],"yoast_head":"\n
\na special time to renew and purify their heart,
\nso that, freed in mind from wrongful desires,
\nthey may so attend to the business of this passing world,
\nas to hold more strongly to the things that abide eternally.<\/p>\n
\nthat the Christ was to be born among men and for their sake
\nby the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit.\u2019<\/p>\n
\nto the word of the heavenly Messenger,
\nthat the Christ was to be born among men and for their sake,
\nby the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit.\u2019<\/p>\n