Lunchbox Lecture: New Testament Metaphors in Modern Translations
CERES Palais, room "Ruhrpott" (4.13)
Lunchbox Lecture by Dr. Andrei Desnitsky (Uni Münster)
"New Testament Metaphors in Modern Translations: Examples and Models"
Modern translations of the New Testament into the languages of the former Soviet Union are practically not described in the scientific literature. The paper is intended to fill part of this gap and to report on some typical problems in translating metaphors as they look from a cognitive perspective. It is particularly difficult to translate such metaphors that are based on social institutions and practices that are absent or poorly known in the culture of the target language, e.g. slavery or patronage. A separate issue is the translation of such words and expressions, which are originally metaphorical in nature, but today are perceived as theological terms, especially if the translation is made into the language of a people with Islamic tradition, e.g. “redemption” (based on the practice of manumission). The paper will present concrete examples and make cautious generalizations.
