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Analytical-Literal Translation
Textual Footnotes and a Simplified ALT?
The following e-mails are commenting on the Analytical-Literal Translation (ALT). The e-mailer's comments are in black and enclosed in "greater than" and "lesser than" signs. My comments are in red.
Textual Footnotes
>Hi Gary.
I have one comment before I go on vacation.
I see that you are considering footnoting variant readings. One of the reasons the NKJV others me so much is their liberal use of these textual footnotes. When I read the NKJV, I see the variant and get confused. I think, "Is what I'm reading really the way God said it?" This causes me to get distracted from my real purpose in reading the Word.
I love reading "plain" Bibles that have no textual footnotes whatsoever. I can read them and ENJOY them without questioning the content. That is why I am so looking forward to your migration to the MT; I believe in the MT and feel I can trust it. If I have to see textual footnotes, I think it will sour the whole experience somewhat for me. Maybe you could publish two versions--one with the footnotes and one without?
I think many of the Bibles out there today try to be a little too scholarly. In attempting to help people understand, I think they are actually causing some people to doubt and to question. At least, that is the case with me. Well, perhaps I am alone in feeling this way, but I wanted to give you my heart on this matter nonetheless.
I'll be in touch again after my vacation.
Blessings,
Robert
P.S. TR footnotes would bother me
less than CT footnotes. I consider
the CT to be seriously "contaminated," suitable only for the trash
heap. :-)
7/21/2000<
You're not the only one opposed to textual footnotes. I have had many people complain to me about the footnotes in the NKJV (although usually it is KJV-Only folks). I, however, have found the textual footnotes in the NKJV to be very helpful. I mention on my site about experiences I have had at Bible studies where confusion resulted when some Bible had a phrase that others did not. No one could figure out why that was, except for me since I had the footnotes in the NKJV to tell me it was a textual variant.
You may "consider the CT to be seriously contaminated" (and I would tend to agree), but the fact remains, there are millions of Bible versions out there based on it. And I find it more confusing not knowing why my Bible includes or omits a phrase that the preacher's or Bible teacher's Bible has. That is why I want to include textual variants in my translation.
However, realizing there are people like you who are opposed to them, what I intend on doing is making them as non-interfering as possible. When the ALT is published, my plans are to place the textual footnotes in a separate section at the end of the Bible. And I am NOT planning on using footnote numbers within the text. So the endnotes could be easily ignored. And they will not technically be a part of the translation, so if the ALT is used in a Bible program they won't be seen at all (unless the programmer wants to somehow use them in a separate section).
Publishing two different editions would not be feasible as publishing through AuthorHouse (as I'm planning on doing) requires a good bit of "up-front" money. But by putting them in a separate section, with no notations within the text, I am hoping that will be the best of both worlds Those who don't want to see them can easily ignore them. Those who are interested can turn to the back and see where textual variants occur.
In addition, I am planning on publishing revised versions of many of the articles on Bible versions as a book at the same time as I publish the ALT. And I'll be referring to that book in the preface to the ALT. That way, people who want to know why I am using the MT (and a literal translation) as opposed to the other options will have a resource they can get to study the issue further.
Let me know what you think of these plans. And thanks again for the proof-reading you're doing on the ALT. It is much appreciated. And have a good vacation!
>I am back! :-)
Your solution sounds great! Thanks for being sensitive to people's concerns. I will resume my proofreading tonight.
Robert
8/3/2000<
Thanks for the comments and the proofreading.
Simplified ALT
After answering the above e-mail, another thought does come to mind. I have toiled with an idea: after I finish the ALT, I have thought of coming out with a "simplified" version of it. The idea would be, in the simplified version I would make some changes that would only slightly decrease the accuracy of the text, while greatly increasing its readability.
For instance, I would utilize some of the "figurative" bracketed readings in the text, and then footnote the literal reading. I would also use some of the alternative translations within the text when they are somewhat simpler yet also somewhat less accurate. And most off all, rather than bracketing such readings, they would be footnoted.
Other changes would also be possible, such as utilizing measurement equivalents within the text, with again, footnoting the original units. And other changes to the text could be made such as not using "being" to indicate the progressive nature of the present tense (and other such changes that would decrease the bringing out of nuances of the Greek grammar when such renderings are awkward), using "lest" rather than "so that .. shall not," and other such changes that are only slightly less accurate.
The plan would be then, that the ALT would be a "study version." They type of version that people would utilize for in-depth personal, Bible study; but the simplified version would be better for general and devotional reading, public reading, evangelism, and the like.
It wouldn't take that much to produce a simplified version after the ALT is finished. But there would be the cost of producing two versions.
Any comments on the ideas of textual footnotes and a simplified ALT would be appreciated.
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