On Punctuation and the use of Inverted Commas and Capital Letters 44

8

SUGGESTIONS FOR TRANSLATORS,

dia1ect, and gave the secret of his success in one pregnant sentence:-

' PRAYER AND PAINS, THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS, WILL DO ANYTHING.'

It is not every one that is called to be a translator. Some have been forced into the service who are utterly unfitted for it. Many men are cut out admirably for Missionary labour, and are capable of picking up a working acquaintance with a native tongue, who have a horror of grammars and dictionaries, and of all sedentary occupation whatsoever. If there are several missionaries in one field, one or two ought specially to be told off for the literary branch of mission work, not to shut themselves up in their studies, but to aim at a more critical knowledge of the native language than the rest have time to attain, and const~ntly to be on the watch for words and idioms which will help them in their translations. Dr. Moffat used to collect the Bechuanas around him and set them to talk on various topics in his presence, taking note of their modes of expression, and only occasionally putting in a word or two so as to elicit some fresh information. Many other translators have followed the same plan. But evidently much skill and tact are needed to carry out this course effectively.

It is a good plan to subdivide the work of translation, where it is feasible, some men being more capable of rendering the poetical parts of Scripture, others the prose ; some only competent to deal with the New Testament, others able to avail themselves of the sacred original in the Old Testament also. Let no man be ambitious to have a translation of a Bible called after his name. First versions are often necessarily undertaken by single individuals, but the sooner many minds can be brought to bear on the work, the better. The first Bible translators-those of Alexandria-if not seventy in number, were at any rate not a few; their work is still held in honour, but their names have not come down to us. The English Bible had about fifty hands engaged on it. The Manx Old Testament was divided among twenty-four persons, and their work revised by two. The Dutch Version had twelve translators and sixteen revisers employed on it. Even Luther had many helpers before his Bible was brought out in its complete form.

The names of all engaged in translation, and the course which they pursue in carrying out their work,. ought to be carefully recorded for the information of future generations; but the prospect of fame is not to be held out as a stimulus to the worker. He has something better by way of reward, for if the undertaking is a hard one, it brings its own recompense with it. Henry Martyn thus wrote concerning his Urdu version: 'If the work should fail, which however I am far from expecting, my labour will have been richly repaid bv the profit and pleasure derived from con-