an open letter on translating-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！










An　Open　Letter　on　Translating







By　Dr。　Martin　Luther；　1483…1546









Translated　from：



〃Sendbrief　von　Dolmetschen〃



in　_Dr。　Martin　Luthers　Werke_；



（Weimar：　Hermann　Boehlaus　Nachfolger；　1909）；



Band　30；　Teil　II；　pp。　632…646



by　Gary　Mann；　Ph。D。



Assistant　Professor　of　Religion/Theology



Augustana　College



Rock　Island；　Illinois







Preface







Wenceslas　Link　to　all　believers　in　Christ：







The　wise　Solomon　says　in　Proverbs　11：　〃The　people　who　withhold



grain　curse　him。　But　there　is　a　blessing　on　those　who　sell　it。〃



This　verse　speaks　truly　concerning　all　that　can　serve　the　common



good　or　the　well…being　of　Christendom。　This　is　the　reason　the



master　in　the　gospel　reprimands　the　unfaithful　servant　like　a　lazy



scoundrel　for　having　hidden　and　buried　his　money　in　the　ground。



So　that　this　curse　of　the　Lord　and　the　entire　Church　might　be



avoided；　I　must　publish　this　letter　which　came　into　my　possession



through　a　good　friend。　I　could　not　withhold　it；　as　there　has　been



much　discussion　about　the　translating　of　the　Old　and　New



Testaments。　It　has　been　charged　by　the　despisers　of　truth　that



the　text　has　been　modified　and　even　falsified　in　many　places；



which　has　shocked　and　startled　many　simple　Christians；　even　among



the　educated　who　do　not　know　any　Hebrew　or　Greek。　It　is　devoutly



hoped　that　with　this　publication　the　slander　of　the　godless　will



be　stopped　and　the　scruples　of　the　devout　removed；　at　least　in



part。　It　may　even　give　rise　to　more　writing　on　such　matters　and



questions　such　as　these。　So　I　ask　all　friends　of　the　Truth　to



seriously　take　this　work　to　heart　and　faithfully　pray　to　God　for　a



proper　understanding　of　the　divine　Scriptures　towards　the



improvement　and　increase　of　our　common　Christendom。　Amen。







Nuremberg　Sept。　15；　1530。







To　the　Honorable　and　Worthy　N。；　my　favorite　lord　and　friend。







Grace　and　peace　in　Christ；　honorable；　worthy　and　dear　Lord　and



friend。　I　received　your　writing　with　the　two　questions　or　queries



requesting　my　response。　In　the　first　place；　you　ask　why　I；　in　the



3rd　chapter　of　Romans；　translated　the　words　of　St。　Paul：



〃Arbitramur　hominem　iustificari　ex　fide　absque　operibus〃　as　〃We



hold　that　the　human　will　be　justified　without　the　works　of　the　law



but　only　by　faith。〃　You　also　tell　me　that　the　Papists　are　causing



a　great　fuss　because　St。　Paul's　text　does　not　contain　the　word



sola　（alone）；　and　that　my　changing　of　the　words　of　God　is　not　to



be　tolerated。　Secondly；　you　ask　if　the　departed　saints　intercede



for　us。　Regarding　the　first　question；　you　can　give　the　papists



this　answer　from　me　…　if　you　so　desire。







On　the　first　hand；　if　I；　Dr。　Luther；　had　thought　that　all　the



Papists　together　were　capable　of　translating　even　one　passage　of



Scripture　correctly　and　well；　I　would　have　gathered　up　enough



humility　to　ask　for　their　aid　and　assistance　in　translating　the



New　Testament　into　German。　However；　I　spared　them　and　myself　the



trouble；　as　I　knew　and　still　see　with　my　own　eyes　that　not　one　of



them　knows　how　to　speak　or　translate　German。　It　is　obvious；



however；　that　they　are　learning　to　speak　and　write　German　from　my



translations。　Thus；　they　are　stealing　my　language　from　me　…　a



language　they　had　little　knowledge　of　before　this。　However；　they



do　not　thank　me　for　this　but　instead　use　it　against　me。　Yet　I



readily　grant　them　this　as　it　tickles　me　to　know　that　I　have



taught　my　ungrateful　students；　even　my　enemies；　to　speak。







Secondly；　you　might　say　that　I　have　conscientiously　translated　the



New　Testament　into　German　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　and　that　I



have　not　forced　anyone　to　read　it。　Rather　I　have　left　it　open；



only　doing　the　translation　as　a　service　to　those　who　could　not　do



it　as　well。　No　one　is　forbidden　to　do　it　better。　If　someone　does



not　wish　to　read　it；　he　can　let　it　lie；　for　I　do　not　ask　anyone　to



read　it　or　praise　anyone　who　does！　It　is　my　Testament　and　my



translation　…　and　it　shall　remain　mine。　If　I　have　made　errors



within　it　（although　I　am　not　aware　of　any　and　would　most　certainly



be　unwilling　to　intentionally　mistranslate　a　single　letter）　I　will



not　allow　the　papists　to　judge　for　their　ears　continue　to　be　too



long　and　their　hee…haws　too　weak　for　them　to　be　critical　of　my



translating。　I　know　quite　well　how　much　skill；　hard　work；



understanding　and　intelligence　is　needed　for　a　good　translation。



They　know　it　less　than　even　the　miller's　donkey　for　they　have



never　tried　it。







It　is　said；　〃The　one　who　builds　along　the　pathway　has　many



masters。〃　It　is　like　this　with　me。　Those　who　have　not　ever　been



able　to　speak　correctly　（to　say　nothing　of　translating）　have　all



at　once　become　my　masters　and　I　their　pupil。　If　I　were　to　have



asked　them　how　to　translate　the　first　two　words　of　Matthew　〃Liber



Generationis〃　into　German；　not　one　of　them　would　have　been　able　to



say　〃Quack！〃　And　they　judge　all　my　works！　Fine　fellows！　It　was



also　like　this　for　St。　Jerome　when　he　translated　the　Bible。



Everyone　was　his　master。　He　alone　was　entirely　incompetent　as



people；　who　were　not　good　enough　to　clean　his　boots；　judged　his



works。　This　is　why　it　takes　a　great　deal　of　patience　to　do　good



things　in　public　for　the　world　believes　itself　to　be　the　Master　of



Knowledge；　always　putting　the　bit　under　the　horse's　tail；　and　not



judging　itself　for　that　is　the　world's　nature。　It　can　do　nothing



else。







I　would　gladly　see　a　papist　come　forward　and　translate　into　German



an　epistle　of　St。　Paul's　or　one　of　the　prophets　and；　in　doing　so；



not　make　use　of　Luther's　German　or　translation。　Then　one　might



see　a　fine；　beautiful　and　noteworthy　translation　into　German。







We　have　seen　that　bungler　from　Dresden　play　master　to　my　New



Testament。　（I　will　not　mention　his　name　in　my　books　as　he　has　his



judge　and　is　already　well…　known）。　He　does　admit　that　my　German



is　good　and　sweet　and　that　he　could　not　improve　it。　Yet；　anxious



to　dishonor　it；　he　took　my　New　Testament　word　for　word　as　it　was



written；　and　removed　my　prefaces　and　glosses；　replacing　them　with



his　own。　Then　he　published　my　New　Testament　under　his　name！　Dear



Children；　how　it　pained　me　when　his　prince　in　a　detestable　preface



condemned　my　work　and　forbid　all　from　reading　Luther's　New



Testament；　while　at　the　same　time　commending　the　Bungler's　New



Testament　to　be　read　…　even　though　it　was　the　very　same　one　Luther



had　written！







So　no　one　thinks　I　am　lying；　put　Luther's　and　the　Bungler's　New



Testaments　side　by　side　and　compare　them。　You　will　see　who　did



the　translation　for　both。　He　has　patched　it　in　places　and



reordered　it　（and　although　it　does　not　all　please　me）　I　can　still



leave　it　be　for　it　does　me　no　particular　harm　as　far　as　the



document　is　concerned。　That　is　why　I　never　intended　to　write　in



opposition　to　it。　But　I　did　have　a　laugh　at　the　great　wisdom　that



so　terribly　slandered；　condemned　and　forbade　my　New　Testament；



when　it　was　published　under　my　name；　but　required　its　reading　when



published　under　an　other's　name！　What　type　of　virtue　is　this　that



slanders　and　heaps　shame　on　someone　else's　work；　and　then　steals



it；　and　publishes　it　under　one's　own　name；　thereby　seeking　glory



and　esteem　through　the　slandered　work　of　someone　else！　I　leave



that　for　his　judge　to　say。　I　am　glad　and　satisfied　that　my　work



（as　St。　Paul　also　boasts　）　is　furthered　by　my　enemies；　and　that



Luther's　work；　without　Luther's　name　but　that　of　his　enemy；　is　to



be　read。　What　better　vengeance？！







Returning　to　the　issue　at　hand；　if　your　Papist　wishes　to　make　a



great　fuss　about　the　word　〃alone〃　（sola）；　say　this　to　him：　〃Dr。



Martin　Luther　will　have　it　so　and　he　says　that　a　papist　and　an　ass



are　the　same　thing。〃　Sic　volo；　sic　iubeo；　sit　pro　ratione



voluntas。　（I　will　it；　I　command　it；　my　will　is　reason　enough）　For



we　are　not　going　to　become　students　and　followers　of　the　papists。



Rather　we　will　become　their　judge　and　master。　We；　too；　are　going



to　be　proud　and　brag　with　these　blockheads；　and　just　as　St。　Paul



brags　against　his　madly　raving　saints；　I　will　brag　over　these



asses　of　mine！　They　are　doctors？　Me　too。　They　are　scholars？　I



am　as　well。　They　are　philosophers？　And　I。　They　are



dialecticians？　I　am　too。　They　are　lecturers？　So　am　I。　They



write　books？　So　do　I。







I　will　go　even　further　with　my　bragging：　I　can　exegete　the　psalms



and　the　prophets；　and　they　cannot。　I　can　translate；　and　they



cannot。　I　can　read　Holy　Scriptures；　and　they　cannot。　I　can　pray；



they　cannot。　Coming　down　to　their　level；　I　can　do　their



dialectics　and　philosophy　better　than　all　of　them　put　together。



Plus　I　know　that　not　one　of　them　understands　Aristotle。　If；　in



fact；　any　one　of　them　can　correctly　understand　one　part　or　chapter



of　Aristotle；　I　will　eat　my　hat！　No；　I　am　not　overdoing　it　for　I



have　been　educated　in　and　have　practiced　their　science　since　my



childhood。　I　recognize　how　broad　and　deep　it　is。　They；　too；　know



that　everything　they　can　do；　I　can　do。　Yet　they　handle　me　like　a



stranger　in　their　discipline；　these　incurable　fellows；　as　if　I　had



just　arrived　this　morning　and　had　never　seen　or　heard　what　they



know　and　teach。　How　they　do　so　brilliantly　parade　around　with



their　science；　teaching　me　what　I　grew　beyond　twenty　years　ago！



To　all　their　shouting　and　screaming　I　join　the　harlot　in　singing：



〃I　have　known　for　seven　years　that　horseshoe　nails　are　iron。〃







So　this　can　be　the　answer　to　your　first　question。　Please　do　not



give　these　asses　any　other　answer　to　their　useless　braying　about



that　word　〃sola〃　than　simply　〃Luther　will　have　it　so；　and　he　says



that　he　is　a　doctor　above　all　the　papal　doctors。〃　Let　it　remain



at　that。　I　will；　from　now　on；　hold　them　in　contempt；　and　have



already　held　them　in　contempt；　as　long　as　they　are　the　kind　of



people　that　they　are　…　asses；　I　should　say。　And　there　are　brazen



idiots　among　them　who　have　never　learned　their　own　art　of



sophistry　…　like　Dr。　Schmidt　and　Snot…Nose；　and　such　like　them。



They　set　themselves　against　me　in　this　matter；　which　not　only



transcends　sophistry；　but　as　St。　Paul　writes；　all　the　wisdom　and



understanding　in　the　world　as　well。　An　ass　truly　does　not　have　to



sing　much　as　he　is　already　known　for　his　ears。







For　you　and　our　people；　however；　I　shall　show　why　I　used　the　word



〃sola〃　…　even　though　in　Romans　3　it　wasn't　〃sola〃　I　used　but



〃solum〃　or　〃tantum〃。　That　is　how　closely　those　asses　have　looked



at　my　text！　However；　I　have　used　〃sola　fides〃　in　other　places；



and　I　want　to　use　both　〃solum〃　and　〃sola〃。　I　have　continually



tried　translating　in　a　pure　and　accurate　German。　It　has　happened



that　I　have　sometimes　searched　and　inquired　about　a　single　wor