Abstract
Translating the Bible so that target audiences can easily understand the meaning of the text has dominated the theory and practice of Bible translation since the 1960s. Source oriented translations that are typically associated with word-for-word translations received little theoretical reflection. However, developments in Translation Studies have made it clear that the latter type of translations do not provide the type of equivalence more conservative churches really call for. The story of the Bible in Afrikaans relates to how the Bible Society of South Africa (BSSA) has taken seriously the needs of churches in South Africa for a source- oriented translation and teamed up with scholars to develop an academically justifiable model for a new type of church Bible. The functionalist model of Christiane Nord (1997) was used as point of departure and complimented by that of Ernst-August Gutt (2000). Pointing out the accomplishments and challenges of this pioneering project, this article paves the way for a scholarly discourse on source-oriented translations of the Bible.
Highlights
For many years the dichotomy of formal versus functional equivalence has typically been used to distinguish between alternative types of Bible translations
Have advances in Translation Studies, and a lively interest in the history of Bible translations, contributed to a more sophisticated portrayal of the types of Bible translations that have been made through the ages
It is widely accepted that the various Bible translations should rather be positioned on a continuum ranging from source language to target-language-oriented translations
Summary
For many years the dichotomy of formal versus functional equivalence has typically been used to distinguish between alternative types of Bible translations. The insights gained from the 2001 conference were taken seriously, and secondly, a multi-disciplinary approach was assumed drawing on the expertise of all available scholars in the Western Cape.7 The findings of this project and its implications for a new Bible translation in Afrikaans were submitted to the CBA in November 2002.8 As far as the theoretical frame of reference is concerned, the following were the most significant recommendations:
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