Das Problem der Übersetzung—dargestellt an Franz Rosenzweig: Die Methoden und Prinzipien der Rosenzweigischen und Buber-Rosenzweigischen Übersetzungen (review)

Abstract

Das Problem der Ubersetzung -- dargestellt an Franz Rosenzweig: Die Methoden und Prinzipien der Rosenzweigischen und Buber-Rosenzweigischen Ubersetzungen, by Hans-Christoph AskaniThis book returns to a dissertation produced under Eberhard Jungel and accepted by Evangelical-Theological Faculty of Universitat Tubingen 1994. The title reveals three emphases of book: problem of translation; philosophical and theological dimensions of within philological work; and representation of higher systematic point of view. Rosenzweig's translations, including of Scripture undertaken with Buber, are drawn upon here as an exemplary case of this problem. The correlation between methods and principles of Buber-Rosenzweig end is particularly reflective of dimensions of problem of translating. The orientation to Franz Rosenzweig, especially extensive Introduction to topic and to reception of Rosenzweig, is not, however, forcefully followed through -- insofar as development of idea of translation, last phase, follows more Martin Buber's categories. As a consequence of selection of his translator, author's central interest leads to a very broad concept of translating, which aims, beyond technical and philological sense, at comprehensive occurrence of language and speaking. The speaking is in its `essence' a and secret of language is secret of translation (p. vii).In Rosenzweig's words: Only one can translate who is internally convinced of impossibility [of translating] (p. 48): reflection on dialectic of possibility and impossibility of translation, so to speak, shapes parameters of thought process. This idea itself follows three stages of Rosenzweig's activity after 1920: from early of liturgical texts (Tischdank, Hausliche Feier and HaMawdil, Ein Lied zum Sabbatausgang) (I.); to Yehuda-Halevi (II.); to Bible (III.) An Appendix includes sample texts from these three phases (pp. 337-349).The early (I.) were directed at assimilated Jewry (Whoever translates into German, must by same measure translate into Christian [Rosenzweig]). Corresponding to intention of his founding of Lehrhaus, Rosenzweig wanted, with his translations, to direct them anew from back into their own Jewish heritage. This desire eventually allowed him to search for a new understanding of translating.The weighty testimony to this attempt is Ubersetzungen der Hymnen und Gedichte des mittelalterlichen Dichters Jehuda Halevi. (II.) Particularly of rhyme and meter, Rosenzweig works, interest of literal, according to criterion of formal binding of to original and that with goal to Germanize foreign, but to make German (p. 77). Reverting to Rosenzweig's Epilogue, author differentiates free rendering -- which confines the other language by reducing it to known ones own [language] (p. 122) -- from a translating following original. His categories of convergence of with original, and meeting of both languages, are indebted to Rosenzweig's insights that language must look different afterwards voice has something to say, and that task of translator is misunderstood if it is seen as Germanization of foreign (p. 118).The unfamiliarity of such merely literal and not at all flowing translations (Rosenzweig) looks forward to Bibelubersetzung (III.) undertaken with Buber, critically referring to Luther's of Bible. …