an open letter on translating-第3章

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wrong。　That　was　what　Judas　meant　as　he　thought　he　could　have　used



it　better。







Now　when　the　angel　greets　Mary；　he　says：　〃Greetings　to　you；　Mary；



full　of　grace；　the　Lord　is　with　you。〃　Well　up　to　this　point；　this



has　simply　been　translated　from　the　simple　Latin；　but　tell　me　is



that　good　German？　Since　when　does　a　German　speak　like　that　…　being



〃full　of　grace〃？　One　would　have　to　think　about　a　keg　〃full　of〃



beer　or　a　purse　〃full　of〃　money。　So　I　translated　it：　〃You



gracious　one〃。　This　way　a　German　can　at　last　think　about　what　the



angel　meant　by　his　greeting。　Yet　the　papists　rant　about　me



corrupting　the　angelic　greeting　…　and　I　still　have　not　used　the



most　satisfactory　German　translation。　What　if　I　had　used　the　most



satisfactory　German　and　translated　the　salutation：　〃God　says



hello；　Mary　dear〃　（for　that　is　what　the　angel　was　intending　to　say



and　what　he　would　have　said　had　he　even　been　German！）。　If　I　had；



I　believe　that　they　would　have　hanged　themselves　out　of　their



great　devotion　to　dear　Mary　and　because　I　have　destroyed　the



greeting。







Yet　why　should　I　be　concerned　about　their　ranting　and　raving？　I



will　not　stop　them　from　translating　as　they　want。　But　I　too　shall



translate　as　I　want　and　not　to　please　them；　and　whoever　does　not



like　it　can　just　ignore　it　and　keep　his　criticism　to　himself；　for



I　will　neither　look　at　nor　listen　to　it。　They　do　not　have　to



answer　for　or　bear　responsibility　for　my　translation。　Listen　up；



I　shall　say　〃gracious　Mary〃　and　〃dear　Mary〃；　and　they　can　say



〃Mary　full　of　grace〃。　Anyone　who　knows　German　also　knows　what　an



expressive　word　〃dear〃（liebe）　is：　dear　Mary；　dear　God；　the　dear



emperor；　the　dear　prince；　the　dear　man；　the　dear　child。　I　do　not



know　if　one　can　say　this　word　〃liebe〃　in　Latin　or　in　other



languages　with　so　much　depth　of　emotion　that　it　pierces　the　heart



and　echoes　throughout　as　it　does　in　our　tongue。







I　think　that　St。　Luke；　as　a　master　of　the　Hebrew　and　Greek



tongues；　wanted　to　clarify　and　articulate　the　Greek　word



〃kecharitomene〃　that　the　angel　used。　And　I　think　that　the　angel



Gabriel　spoke　with　Mary　just　as　he　spoke　with　Daniel；　when　he



called　him　〃Chamudoth〃　and　〃Ish　chamudoth；　vir　desiriorum〃；　that



is　〃Dear　Daniel。〃　That　is　the　way　Gabriel　speaks；　as　we　can　see



in　Daniel。　Now　if　I　were　to　literally　translate　the　words　of　the



angel；　and　use　the　skills　of　these　asses；　I　would　have　to



translate　it　as　〃Daniel；　you　man　of　desires〃　or　〃Daniel；　you　man



of　lust〃。　Oh；　that　would　be　beautiful　German！　A　German　would；　of



course；　recognize　〃Man〃；　〃Lueste〃　and　〃begirunge〃　as　being　German



words；　although　not　altogether　pure　as　〃lust〃　and　〃begir〃　would　be



better。　But　when　those　words　are　put　together　you　get　〃you　man　of



desires〃　and　no　German　is　going　to　understand　that。　He　might　even



think　that　Daniel　is　full　of　lustful　desires。　Now　wouldn't　that



be　a　fine　translation！　So　I　have　to　let　the　literal　words　go　and



try　to　discover　how　the　German　says　what　the　Hebrew　〃ish



chamudoth〃　expresses。　I　discover　that　the　German　says　this；　〃You



dear　Daniel〃；　〃you　dear　Mary〃；　or　〃you　gracious　maiden〃；　〃you



lovely　maiden〃；　〃you　gentle　girl〃　and　so　on。　A　translator　must



have　a　large　vocabulary　so　he　can　have　more　words　for　when　a



particular　one　just　does　not　fit　in　the　context。







Why　should　I　talk　about　translating　so　much？　I　would　need　an



entire　year　were　I　to　point　out　the　reasons　and　concerns　behind　my



words。　I　have　learned　what　an　art　and　job　translating　is　by



experience；　so　I　will　not　tolerate　some　papal　ass　or　mule　as　my



critic；　or　judge。　They　have　not　tried　the　task。　If　anyone　does



not　like　my　translations；　they　can　ignore　it；　and　may　the　devil



repay　the　one　who　dislikes　or　criticizes　my　translations　without



my　knowledge　or　permission。　Should　it　be　criticized；　I　will　do　it



myself。　If　I　do　not　do　it；　then　they　can　leave　my　translations　in



peace。　They　can　each　do　a　translation　that　suits　them　…　what　do　I



care？







To　this　I　can；　with　good　conscience；　give　witness　…　that　I　gave　my



utmost　effort　and　care　and　I　had　no　ulterior　motives。　I　have　not



taken　or　wanted　even　a　small　coin　in　return。　Neither　have　I　made



any　by　it。　God　knows　that　I　have　not　even　sought　honor　by　it；　but



I　have　done　it　as　a　service　to　the　blessed　Christians　and　to　the



honor　of　the　One　who　sits　above　who　blesses　me　every　hour　of　my



life　that　had　I　translated　a　thousand　times　more　diligently；　I



should　not　have　deserved　to　live　or　have　a　sound　eye　for　even　a



single　hour。　All　I　am　and　have　to　offer　is　from　his　mercy　and



grace　…　indeed　of　his　precious　blood　and　bitter　sweat。　Therefore；



God　willing；　all　of　it　will　also　serve　to　his　honor；　joyfully　and



sincerely。　I　may　be　insulted　by　the　scribblers　and　papists　but



true　Christians；　along　with　Christ；　their　Lord；　bless　me。



Further；　I　am　more　than　amply　rewarded　if　just　one　Christian



acknowledge　me　as　a　workman　with　integrity。　I　do　not　care　about



the　papists；　as　they　are　not　good　enough　to　acknowledge　my　work



and；　if　they　were　to　bless　me；　it　would　break　my　heart。　I　may　be



insulted　by　their　highest　praise　and　honor；　but　I　will　still　be　a



doctor；　even　a　distinguished　one。　I　am　certain　that　they　shall



never　take　from　me　until　the　final　day。







Yet　I　have　not　just　gone　ahead；　ignoring　the　exact　wording　in　the



original。　Instead；　with　great　care；　I　have；　along　with　my



helpers；　gone　ahead　and　have　kept　literally　to　the　original；



without　the　slightest　deviation；　wherever　it　appeared　that　a



passage　was　crucial。　For　instance；　in　John　6　Christ　says：　〃Him



has　God　the　Father　set　his　seal　upon　（versiegelt）。〃　It　would　be



more　clear　in　German　to　say　〃Him　has　God　the　Father　signified



（gezeiehent）〃　or　even　〃God　the　Father　means　him。〃　But　rather　than



doing　violence　to　the　original；　I　have　done　violence　to　the　German



tongue。　Ah；　translating　is　not　every　one's　skill　as　some　mad



saints　think。　A　right；　devout；　honest；　sincere；　God…fearing



Christian；　trained；　educated；　and　experienced　heart　is　required。



So　I　hold　that　no　false　Christian　or　divisive　spirit　can　be　a　good



translator。　That　is　obvious　given　the　translation　of　the　Prophets



at　Worms　which　although　carefully　done　and　approximating　my　own



German　quite　closely；　does　not　show　much　reverence　for　Christ　due



to　the　Jews　who　shared　in　the　translation。　Aside　from　that　it



shows　plenty　of　skill　and　craftsmanship　there。







So　much　for　translating　and　the　nature　of　language。　However；　I　was



not　depending　upon　or　following　the　nature　of　language　when　I



inserted　the　word　〃solum〃　（alone）　in　Rom。　3　as　the　text　itself；



and　St。　Paul's　meaning；　urgently　necessitated　and　demanded　it。　He



is　dealing　with　the　main　point　of　Christian　doctrine　in　this



passage　…　namely　that　we　are　justified　by　faith　in　Christ　without



any　works　of　the　Law。　In　fact；　he　rejects　all　works　so　completely



as　to　say　that　the　works　of　the　Law；　though　it　is　God's　law　and



word；　do　not　aid　us　in　justification。　Using　Abraham　as　an



example；　he　argues　that　Abraham　was　so　justified　without　works



that　even　the　highest　work；　which　had　been　commanded　by　God；　over



and　above　all　others；　namely　circumcision；　did　not　aid　him　in



justification。　Instead；　Abraham　was　justified　without



circumcision　and　without　any　works；　but　by　faith；　as　he　says　in



Chapter　4：　〃If　Abraham　is　justified　by　works；　he　may　boast；　but



not　before　God。〃　However；　when　all　works　are　so　completely



rejected　…　which　must　mean　faith　alone　justifies　…　whoever　would



speak　plainly　and　clearly　about　this　rejection　of　works　would　have



to　say　〃Faith　alone　justifies　and　not　works。〃　The　matter　itself



and　the　nature　of　language　necessitates　it。







〃Yet〃；　they　say；　〃it　has　such　an　offensive　tone　that　people　infer



from　it　that　they　need　not　do　any　good　works。〃　De