Arbitrary words

Words are arbitrarily chosen to represent ideas. But do the words chosen really represent the ideas? Stock phrases like Happy Birthday wouldn't be said any other way, such as Glad Birthday or Happy Day of Birth. But in running speech the ideas we have are not so common as to have only one way to say it. So, Our troops are still in Iraq, and Our boys have yet to return from Iraq, only have a small chance of representing the same idea. Who is making the utterance has everything to do with what the idea may be. If a mother of a soldier were speaking, utterance #2 would probably be chosen. If a reporter was asking Don Rumsfield to comment on the status of the troops, utterance #1 would be chosen over utterance #2. Utterance #1 seems more factual while utterance #2 seems fuller of sentiment.

I had a chance recently to discuss at length some of the principles of translation when translating the New Testament. It's always interesting to see how others react to a discussion of translation principles, but I was talking with a fellow translator. If I had to characterize the discussion with the main idea of the discussion, I think we mentioned time and again how arbitrary words are in representing ideas. Neither of us would be able to answer the question, "What is the best translation?" or "Which translation most accurately reflects the original language?" Judging matters like the attitude of speakers or trying to figure out how much fact or sentiment was involved becomes tricky since it would guide the translator to select a certain set of words to use. For example, are "I am the light of the world," and "I'm the world's light," the same expression? What about "I am the one who lights the world," or "I light up the world?"

Although I am reminded how careful one must be when translating, I am equally reminded that a great degree of liberty exists in translating. And in that I am relieved. That liberty is the very essence of the one who created the ideas in the first place. If the Son of Man set you free, you are really and truly free.