Me, too, Pro; in the late 40’s. So don’t argue with your elders–the older English was better than the newer
Sorry, I didn’t mean to challenge you but I would like to point out that the English varied from handmissal to handmissal. There were no official translations in the pre-Vatican II Mass. For example, in a beautiful prayer removed by the reforms,
======================================================
Interlinear word-for-word translation.
Deus, qui humanæ substantiæ dignitatem
God, Who of human substance dignity
mirabiliter condidisti,
wonderfully has created,
et mirabilius reformasti:
and more wonderfully reformed:
da nobis per hujus aquæ et vini mysterium,
give to us through this of water and wine mystery,
ejus divinitatis esse consortes
His divinity to be partakers
qui humanitatis nostræ fieri dignatus est particeps,
Who in humanity our to become has granted partaker,
Jesus Christus Filius tuus Dominus noster:
Jesus Christ Son Your Lord our:
Qui tecum vivit et regnat
Who with You lives and reigns
in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus:
in union with Spirit Holy God:
per omnia sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
for all ages of ages. Amen.
St. Joseph - “O God, Who hast established the nature of man in wondrous dignity, and still more admirably restored it, grant that through the mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of His Divinity, Who has condescended to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.”
My Sunday Missal - “O God, Who hast established the nature of man in wondrous dignity, and even more wonderously hast renewed it, grant that through the mystery of this water and wine, we may be made partakers of His Divinity, Who has deigned to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God world without end. Amen.”
St. Andrew - “O God, Who in a wonderful manner didst create and ennoble human nature, and still more wonderfully hast renewed it; grant that, by the mystery of this water and wine, we may be partakers of His divinity who vouchsafed to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord: who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.”
Fr Lasance - “O God, Who in creating man didst exalt his nature very wonderfully and yet more wonderfully didst establish it anew: by the mystery signified in the mingling of this water and wine, grant us to have part in the Godhead of Him Who hath vouchsafed to share our manhood, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God; world without end. Amen.”
Angelus - “O God, Who in creating human nature didst marvelously ennoble it, and hast still more marvelously renewed it: grant that by the mystery of this water and wine, we may be partakers of His Divinity Who vouchsafed to become partaker of our humanity, Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigned with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.”
1857 Missal - “O God, who, in creating human nature, hast wonderfully dignified it, and still more wonderfully reformed it: grant that by the mystery of this Water and Wine, we may be partakers of his divine nature, who vouchsafed to become partaker of our human nature, namely, Jesus Christ one Lord, thy Son, in the unity of …”
Campion - "O God, Who in creating man didst exalt his nature very wonderfully and yet more wonderfully didst establish it anew by the mystery signified in the mingling of this water and wine, grant us to have part in the Godhead of Him Who hath vouchsafed to share our manhood Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Our Lord. WHo liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
but from a standpoint of accuracy in translation, meaning not simply accuracy in conveying the actual text, but in conveying the meaning, the old just didn’t measure up as well as the new. Possibly future translations will be even better, so I’m not saying the current is ‘the best’ or ‘the only possible’. I’m just saying that in so many ways it is more helpful in conveying the word of God in language that isn’t just ‘for the late 20th century’ but for all centuries. For those of us who have lived the last 6 or 7 decades or so, there is so much from the 1960s and 1970s that is just, well, ‘dated’, and poorly dated at that. A lot of the older translation reflects that sort of thing, language that was ‘dynamic’ (even "Dyn o mite) way back when but is somewhat cringe-worthy today. Seriously, when you hear people say things like “gnarly” or ‘outta sight’ or ‘groovy’, don’t you kind of go ‘bleah’ inside?