June 9, 2004
From the desk of Jane Galt:More modern than next week
The Wall Street Journal reports:
It's not what it used to be, judging from a new translation of the beloved 23rd psalm that will be published by the Church of England in a new prayer book due out in October. The publisher says it's not meant as the new official version of the psalm but merely part of a larger work designed to focus "on issues such as debt, the developing world and fair trade." Which may help explain how "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil" has been replaced by "Even if a full-scale violent confrontation breaks out I will not be afraid, Lord."
But really, as a co-worker points out, this "Lord" business is really hopelessly out of date. It needs to be replaced by something more modern, such as "boss", "jefe", or perhaps "daddy-o" Posted by Jane Galt at June 9, 2004 11:37 AM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound links
The Agnostic's Prayer
(Roger Zelazny, Creatures of Light and Darkness, © 1969)
Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen.
The legal department has it covered; I will fear no minority shareholder revolt.
Thou preparest me a poison pill in the face of hostile takeovers; my stock options are in the money.
Modern life defies parody. I his essay "Ploitics and the English Language" George Orwell translated a passage from Ecclesiastes ("The race is not always to the swift, not the battle to the strong . . .") into modern English. The result was better that this.
I worship before the altar of modern medicine, upon which even philadelphia lawyers may recover. Jefe is good!
With regard to religions and new translations of the bible, I refer to the ninth (or forgotten) beatitude from the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they are never disappointed."
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the meanest son-of-a-bitch in the valley.
May I intrude, the real world asked?
1. "Published by the Church of England" is misleading. The book is being published by a Christian book publishing company which is owned by the Church of England. The Church of England also owns a shopping centre in Gateshead, but we would not say "The Church of England said yesterday that March was the month for low low prices". The implication from this article (and from the Telegraph article which appears to be the original source is that there is some proposed change to the liturgy or to the Book of Common Prayer. That's not true.
2. The book was actually put together by Christian Aid. It's a compilation of prayers and psalms from the third world, rewritten by local people to try and talk about their own particular situation. So the real thrust of this is "don't foreigners talk funny!"
3. Christian Aid has a particular purpose in this case; they're trying to push a "fair trade" agenda, and they're selling this book to raise funds and awareness.
4. I am always monumentally suspicious of single phrases taken out of context. I have no reason to trust the WSJ or the telegraph not to have stitched Christian Aid up on this one by taking something that was meant as a joke and pretending it was meant seriously.
Actually, Christian Aid already publishes its own notes to the "New Revised Standard Version" of the bible, complete with "lists on its introductory pages passages about key social justice issues such as poverty and discrimination, and includes prayers and worship material reflecting some of that Biblical teaching."
Those who have worked with translations in the past recognize in the clunky, poorly written language of the NRSV the same translation tendencies apparent in the article. And no, Christian Aid did not write, or sponsor, the version of the Bible: they just added an introduction and notes.
It's a pity that so few translation committes include people who are conversant with English and American literature, and know something about word selection and consonance.
You mean that biblical translators may have a
political agenda in mind? Thank the Lord that
those who worked on the KJV were pure of heart
and free of any secular ambition.
NOT!
"rewritten by local people to try and talk about their own particular situation"
In exactly which 3rd world country do normal people talk in this fashion?
This isn't High Church; it isn't even Low Church. This is deaf Church.
Is "poetry impaired" a recognized handicap?
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the meanest son-of-a-bitch in the valley."
Sho Enuff!
Comments are Closed.