Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies) ReviewFoley, Toshikazu S. Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice. Linguistic Biblical Studies 1. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
If value is measured simply by sheer amount of information, then Toshikazu S. Foley's Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice is one of the few monographs actually worth its price. Not only does Foley present the reader with an incredible amount of detail on the history of Chinese Bible translations and the various contributors to modern verbal aspect theory (hereafter referred to as VAT), Foley does what no scholar, to the best of my knowledge, has yet done--he provides an practical, internally consistent application of Stanley Porter's version of VAT for the practice of Bible translation.
The reader, however, should heed the following warning: Foley's book is extremely technical and from the outset presupposes a rudimentary knowledge both of Porter's VAT and the basics of the Chinese language (specifically, Mandarin). Furthermore, to his credit and the casual reader's detriment, Porter cites a plethora of foreign language sources including Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian, to name a few (and not only does Foley cite these source, he actually interacts critically with them). Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek, then, is not for the faint of heart.
After a short introduction (chapter 1), Foley devotes a chapter to the history of Bible translation in China, including the work of the Nestorians, giving special attention to how various theological terms have been translated (e.g. the names for the various members of the Trinity). In addition, Foley also offers a short discussion of Bible translation theory, including a critique of Eugene Nida's pioneering work.
In chapter 3, Foley discusses VAT in both Chinese and English, beginning with a brief conceptual overview and then discussing the various treatments of VAT by scholars in Chinese and English.
Chapters 4-7 represent Foley's greatest contribution. In chapter 4, he discusses how the various aspects of the indicative mood should be translated into Mandarin Chinese (via Porter's VAT). Chapter five does the same for the non-indicative moods (as well as conditional clauses), and chapters 6-7 provide a translation and discussion of John 18-19 and 1 Corinthians 15, respectively (Foley's own translation, compared with other Chinese translations and defended on the basis of VAT).
Without a doubt, Foley has provided Biblical scholarship with a unique and valuable contribution. Not only does his work remain one of the few treatments of VAT to actually apply it to Bible translation (a sore deficiency in scholarship so far), he also offers invaluable information regarding translation theory in Chinese and Greek. Indeed, the amount of research that has gone into this book staggers the mind.
A few areas of concern remain. First of all, Foley (who studied at McMaster Divinity college) unapologetically follows Porter regarding VAT. While this is not a problem of the book per se (since this book was never meant as an apologetic for VAT), those who disagree with Porter will find the book far less useful than those who agree. At the least, Foley could have done a little more to defend his view on VAT, especially in light of the criticisms mounted by Daniel Wallace and Chrys C. Caragounis (Foley cites these two authors, but does not properly counter their criticisms). Also, Foley can be a bit too heavy-handed in his critique of other translations that do not, in his opinion, properly reflect verbal aspect in either Chinese or Greek (e.g. middle of page 338, bottom of 362).
More importantly, the book assumes a prior knowledge both of VAT and the basics of the Chinese language. While Foley does provide an all-to brief conceptual overview of VAT, most of chapter three centers around the individual contributors to VAT (e.g. Porter, Fanning, KcKay, Mateos, Decker, etc. in English; Varo, Morrison, Carr, Smith, etc. in Mandarin) rather than the concepts behind VAT (though, too his credit, he does a good job distinguishing VAT from aktionsart; once again, this distinction is more assumed than defended, however). A more thorough and simple introduction to VAT would have been helpful. Likewise, the reader who knows nothing of Chinese grammar or syntax is left floundering, though by the end of the book he or she will gradually begin to understand the significance of "four character set phrases," the ø morpheme, etc.; nevertheless a basic overview of written Mandarin would have been helpful.
Finally, the most important critique of the book is that it possesses no glossary, subject index, or author index (though it has both an index of Bible verses and a thorough bibliography). In light of the technical complexity of this book, these omissions are difficult to fathom. As mentioned above, those without prior knowledge of VAT or Mandarin will likely struggle. Likewise, those researching particular authors or topics will find Foley's work difficult to use, even with his very extensive table of contents.
Despite these minor criticisms, Foley may be commended for an incredibly well-researched contribution to both linguistics and Bible translation. If the other works in this series approach the excellence of this inaugural work, Biblical academia will be truly blessed.Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies) Overview

Want to learn more information about Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek (Linguistic Biblical Studies)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now