New Translation from the Vulgate?

[Tyuiop411]

I’ve been reading through posts about the RSV and the NAB and all the problems they have, and i started to wonder why no one has ever made a modern English translation of the Vulgate. Do you think it would be a good idea to have a new translation of the Vulgate? Why or why not?

Luckily, I know enough Latin to read the Vulgate and avoid this English translation issue, but i was interested in what others think about this.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Ty,

There us nothing wrong with doing a translation of the Vulgate. I understand some people are working on a translation of the Septuagint. However, problems people see with translations are not due to the source but to the talent of the translators. I would rather have a good translation team work on a translation from the original texts rather than do a translation of a translation.

Ancient translations however are precious witnesses to readings in manuscripts that may have been lost.

Finally, I would point out that no translation will satisfy every one. St. Jerome,who did the Vulgate, was criticized by St. Augustin for his translation. The latter pointed out that there was a riot in a North African city because the Vulgate had changed the name of a plant that occurred in the book of Jonas.

Verbum

 

[Ron_Conte]

I’ve been reading through posts about the RSV and the NAB and all the problems they have, and i started to wonder why no one has ever made a modern English translation of the Vulgate. Do you think it would be a good idea to have a new translation of the Vulgate? Why or why not?

Luckily, I know enough Latin to read the Vulgate and avoid this English translation issue, but i was interested in what others think about this.

There is a recent modern English translation of the Vulgate, here
sacredbible.org/
completed on 28 March 2009

 

[vladimir998]

Tyuiop411,

You wrote:

I’ve been reading through posts about the RSV and the NAB and all the problems they have, and i started to wonder why no one has ever made a modern English translation of the Vulgate.

Modern? Is the 1940s modern enough? Baronius Press will soon reprint Ronald Knox’s excellent and fascinating translation of the Vulgate from the 1940s. Used copies are floating around.

 

[Tyuiop411]

Tyuiop411,

You wrote:

Modern? Is the 1940s modern enough? Baronius Press will soon reprint Ronald Knox’s excellent and fascinating translation of the Vulgate from the 1940s. Used copies are floating around.

I’m only 20 and not from a Catholic family so i didn’t even know it existed. It looks like i’ve got some Ebay hunting to do.

 

[Ron_Conte]

Knox’s translation is, in my view, too loose.

 

[vladimir998]

I’m only 20 and not from a Catholic family so i didn’t even know it existed. It looks like i’ve got some Ebay hunting to do.

Your best bet may be to wait until Baronius Press publishes the reprint this year. It will run at $50 or $60 I think, but it will be brand new (not 50 years old like the used copies) and will be more beautiful than any old copy (even when they were originally produced).

 

[vladimir998]

Knox’s translation is, in my view, too loose.

Some people feel that way, but it is actually a sound translation and his accompanying book on translation problems gives a good account of why he translated as he did. It was approved by the bishops of England too (when that still meant something!).