A monumental new translation of the Hebrew Bible by renowned scholar Robert Alter places the art of translation front and center. And translation, by which one renders a text not just readable but understandable, is indeed an art, not merely a task for assistants relegated to the sidelines.
Alter’s work, which has painstakingly reexamined the original Hebrew texts, translating and explaining them for English-speaking audiences, is a perfect example of the importance of language. Alter does not simply pay attention to words, but also meaning, poetry, history, syntax, and the symbolism evident in the original version.
The more than 3,000 pages of his translation are also a timely reminder that translation is more than just a change of words from one language to another, the sort of thing a computer service such as Google Translate might produce.
No matter how syntactically perfect the text machine learning software may one day spit out, it will never convey ancient poetic constructs woven into a text. It can never convey the same deliberate ambiguities or consciously leave a passage containing unfamiliar phrasing with intended significance that the reader will understand.
That nuance is lost to a computer, or to a human without a deep appreciation for the artistry of two languages. So is the difference between a good text and a great text, something that strikes a chord with the reader and something that falls flat or inadvertently conveys an entirely different meaning.
As governments, companies, and individuals increasingly connect and interact across cultural and linguistic barriers, those nuances most difficult to capture become all the more important.
To recognize meaning, beyond simply rendering words readable in another language, is critical to fostering real understanding and communication, as Alter’s new translation makes beautifully clear. Language, after all, is not merely a utilitarian tool of communication. Translation shouldn’t be considered so either.
