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translation quality assessment? Word for word, or sense for sense;
that is not the question. The question is indubitably evaluative.
Translation is probably as old as the Rosetta Stone which dates
back to the second century BC but was actually discovered in 1977. The
French rendered an invaluable service to mankind by deciphering
• Egyptian hieroglyphics, thus unlocking the yet inexhaustible treasures
of the ancient Egyptian civilisation. Mention should be made of the
only extant translation of some portion of the Scriptures which was
undertaken in Alexandria, the seat of intellectual and commercial
activity in the East Mediterranean. Translation at that stage was
predominately formal.
The Greco-Roman era, however, witnessed a gigantic movement in the
direction of procedures and techniques of translation. Translators,
notwithstanding, relied exclusively on personal skill and insight.
It should, however, be noted that Bible translating did not
flourish as much as the translation of the Greek classics. This may be
attributed to the fact that ecclesiastical scholastics and Christian
theologians thought it their own inalienable divine prerogative to
interpret the Bible and impart biblical information to lay Christians.
Therefore, Bible translating was not encouraged in the Middle Ages.
Particular emphasis, however, was laid on the word rather than the
sense, with the inevitable consequence that close literalness and
verbal accuracy proved detrimental to the sense and spirit of the
biblical text.
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