an open letter on translating-第3节

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I　think　that　St。　Luke；　as　a　master　of　the　Hebrew　and　Greek



tongues；　wanted　to　clarify　and　articulate　the　Greek　word



〃kecharitomene〃　that　the　angel　used。　And　I　think　that　the　angel



Gabriel　spoke　with　Mary　just　as　he　spoke　with　Daniel；　when　he



called　him　〃Chamudoth〃　and　〃Ish　chamudoth；　vir　desiriorum〃；　that



is　〃Dear　Daniel。〃　That　is　the　way　Gabriel　speaks；　as　we　can　see



in　Daniel。　Now　if　I　were　to　literally　translate　the　words　of　the



angel；　and　use　the　skills　of　these　asses；　I　would　have　to



translate　it　as　〃Daniel；　you　man　of　desires〃　or　〃Daniel；　you　man



of　lust〃。　Oh；　that　would　be　beautiful　German！　A　German　would；　of



course；　recognize　〃Man〃；　〃Lueste〃　and　〃begirunge〃　as　being　German



words；　although　not　altogether　pure　as　〃lust〃　and　〃begir〃　would　be



better。　But　when　those　words　are　put　together　you　get　〃you　man　of



desires〃　and　no　German　is　going　to　understand　that。　He　might　even



think　that　Daniel　is　full　of　lustful　desires。　Now　wouldn't　that



be　a　fine　translation！　So　I　have　to　let　the　literal　words　go　and



try　to　discover　how　the　German　says　what　the　Hebrew　〃ish



chamudoth〃　expresses。　I　discover　that　the　German　says　this；　〃You



dear　Daniel〃；　〃you　dear　Mary〃；　or　〃you　gracious　maiden〃；　〃you



lovely　maiden〃；　〃you　gentle　girl〃　and　so　on。　A　translator　must



have　a　large　vocabulary　so　he　can　have　more　words　for　when　a



particular　one　just　does　not　fit　in　the　context。







Why　should　I　talk　about　translating　so　much？　I　would　need　an



entire　year　were　I　to　point　out　the　reasons　and　concerns　behind　my



words。　I　have　learned　what　an　art　and　job　translating　is　by



experience；　so　I　will　not　tolerate　some　papal　ass　or　mule　as　my



critic；　or　judge。　They　have　not　tried　the　task。　If　anyone　does



not　like　my　translations；　they　can　ignore　it；　and　may　the　devil



repay　the　one　who　dislikes　or　criticizes　my　translations　without



my　knowledge　or　permission。　Should　it　be　criticized；　I　will　do　it



myself。　If　I　do　not　do　it；　then　they　can　leave　my　translations　in



peace。　They　can　each　do　a　translation　that　suits　them　…　what　do　I



care？







To　this　I　can；　with　good　conscience；　give　witness　…　that　I　gave　my



utmost　effort　and　care　and　I　had　no　ulterior　motives。　I　have　not



taken　or　wanted　even　a　small　coin　in　return。　Neither　have　I　made



any　by　it。　God　knows　that　I　have　not　even　sought　honor　by　it；　but



I　have　done　it　as　a　service　to　the　blessed　Christians　and　to　the



honor　of　the　One　who　sits　above　who　blesses　me　every　hour　of　my



life　that　had　I　translated　a　thousand　times　more　diligently；　I



should　not　have　deserved　to　live　or　have　a　sound　eye　for　even　a



single　hour。　All　I　am　and　have　to　offer　is　from　his　mercy　and



grace　…　indeed　of　his　precious　blood　and　bitter　sweat。　Therefore；



God　willing；　all　of　it　will　also　serve　to　his　honor；　joyfully　and



sincerely。　I　may　be　insulted　by　the　scribblers　and　papists　but



true　Christians；　along　with　Christ；　their　Lord；　bless　me。



Further；　I　am　more　than　amply　rewarded　if　just　one　Christian



acknowledge　me　as　a　workman　with　integrity。　I　do　not　care　about



the　papists；　as　they　are　not　good　enough　to　acknowledge　my　work



and；　if　they　were　to　bless　me；　it　would　break　my　heart。　I　may　be



insulted　by　their　highest　praise　and　honor；　but　I　will　still　be　a



doctor；　even　a　distinguished　one。　I　am　certain　that　they　shall



never　take　from　me　until　the　final　day。







Yet　I　have　not　just　gone　ahead；　ignoring　the　exact　wording　in　the



original。　Instead；　with　great　care；　I　have；　along　with　my



helpers；　gone　ahead　and　have　kept　literally　to　the　original；



without　the　slightest　deviation；　wherever　it　appeared　that　a



passage　was　crucial。　For　instance；　in　John　6　Christ　says：　〃Him



has　God　the　Father　set　his　seal　upon　（versiegelt）。〃　It　would　be



more　clear　in　German　to　say　〃Him　has　God　the　Father　signified



（gezeiehent）〃　or　even　〃God　the　Father　means　him。〃　But　rather　than



doing　violence　to　the　original；　I　have　done　violence　to　the　German



tongue。　Ah；　translating　is　not　every　one's　skill　as　some　mad



saints　think。　A　right；　devout；　honest；　sincere；　God…fearing



Christian；　trained；　educated；　and　experienced　heart　is　required。



So　I　hold　that　no　false　Christian　or　divisive　spirit　can　be　a　good



translator。　That　is　obvious　given　the　translation　of　the　Prophets



at　Worms　which　although　carefully　done　and　approximating　my　own



German　quite　closely；　does　not　show　much　reverence　for　Christ　due



to　the　Jews　who　shared　in　the　translation。　Aside　from　that　it



shows　plenty　of　skill　and　craftsmanship　there。







So　much　for　translating　and　the　nature　of　language。　However；　I　was



not　depending　upon　or　following　the　nature　of　language　when　I



inserted　the　word　〃solum〃　（alone）　in　Rom。　3　as　the　text　itself；



and　St。　Paul's　meaning；　urgently　necessitated　and　demanded　it。　He



is　dealing　with　the　main　point　of　Christian　doctrine　in　this



passage　…　namely　that　we　are　justified　by　faith　in　Christ　without



any　works　of　the　Law。　In　fact；　he　rejects　all　works　so　completely



as　to　say　that　the　works　of　the　Law；　though　it　is　God's　law　and



word；　do　not　aid　us　in　justification。　Using　Abraham　as　an



example；　he　argues　that　Abraham　was　so　justified　without　works



that　even　the　highest　work；　which　had　been　commanded　by　God；　over



and　above　all　others；　namely　circumcision；　did　not　aid　him　in



justification。　Instead；　Abraham　was　justified　without



circumcision　and　without　any　works；　but　by　faith；　as　he　says　in



Chapter　4：　〃If　Abraham　is　justified　by　works；　he　may　boast；　but



not　before　God。〃　However；　when　all　works　are　so　completely



rejected　…　which　must　mean　faith　alone　justifies　…　whoever　would



speak　plainly　and　clearly　about　this　rejection　of　works　would　have



to　say　〃Faith　alone　justifies　and　not　works。〃　The　matter　itself



and　the　nature　of　language　necessitates　it。







〃Yet〃；　they　say；　〃it　has　such　an　offensive　tone　that　people　infer



from　it　that　they　need　not　do　any　good　works。〃　Dear；　what　are　we　to



say？　IS　it　not　more　offensive　for　St。　Paul　himself　to　not　use　the



term　〃faith　alone〃　but　spell　it　even　more　clearly；　putting　the



finishing　touches　on　it　by　saying　〃Without　the　works　of　the　Law？〃



Gal。　1　＇2。16＇　says　that　〃not　by　works　of　the　law'　（as　well　as　in



many　other　places）　for　the　phrase　〃without　the　works　of　the　law〃



is　so　ever　offensive；　and　scandalous　that　no　amount　of　revision



can　help　it。　How　much　more　might　people　learn　from　〃that　they



need　not　do　any　good　works〃；　when　all　they　hear　is　preaching



about　the　works　themselves；　stated　in　such　a　clear　strong　way：



〃No　works〃；　〃without　works〃；　〃not　by　works〃！　If　it　is　not



offensive　to　preach　〃without　works〃；　〃not　by　works〃！；　〃no　works〃；



why　is　it　offensive　to　preach　〃by　faith　alone〃？







Still　more　offensive　is　that　St。　Paul　does　not　reject　just



ordinary　works；　but　works　of　the　law！　It　follows　that　one　could



take　offense　at　that　all　the　more　and　say　that　the　law　is



condemned　and　cursed　before　God　and　one　ought　only　do　what　is



contrary　to　the　law　as　it　is　said　in　Rom。　3：　〃Why　not　do　evil　so



that　there　might　be　more　good？〃　which　is　what　that　one　divisive



spirit　of　our　time　was　doing。　Should　one　reject　St。　Paul's　word



because　of　such　‘offense'　or　refrain　from　speaking　freely　about



faith？　Gracious；　St。　Paul　and　I　want　to　offend　like　this　for　we



preach　so　strongly　against　works；　insisting　on　faith　alone　for　no



other　reason　than　to　offend　people　that　they　might　stumble　and



fall　and　learn　that　they　are　not　saved　by　good　works　but　only　by



Christ's　death　and　resurrection。　Knowing　that　they　cannot　be



saved　by　their　good　works　of　the　law；　how　much　more　will　they



realize　that　they　shall　not　be　saved　by　bad　works；　or　without　the



law！　Therefore；　it　does　not　follow　that　because　good　works　do　not



help；　bad　works　will；　just　as　it　does　not　follow　that　because　the



sun　cannot　help　a　blind　person　see；　the　night　and　darkness　must



help　him　see。







It　astounds　me　that　one　can　be　offended　by　something　as　obvious　as



this！　Just　tell　me；　is　Christ's　death　and　resurrection　our　work；



what　we　do；　or　not？　It　is　obviously　not　our　work；　nor　is　it　the



work　of　the　law。　Now　it　is　Christ's　death　and　resurrection　alone



which　saves　and　frees　us　from　sin；　as　Paul　writes　in　Rom。　4：　〃He



died　for　our　sin　and　arose　for　our　righteousness。〃　Tell　me　more！



What　is　the　work　by　which　we　take　hold　of　Christ's　death　and



resurrection？　It　must　not　be　an　external　work　but　only　the



eternal　faith　in　the　heart　that　alone；　indeed　all　alone；　which



takes　hold　of　this　death　and　resurrection　when　it　is　preached



through　the　gospel。　Then　why　all　this　ranting　and　raving；　this



making　of　heretics　and　burning　of　them；　when　it　is　clear　at　its



very　core；　proving　that　faith　alone　takes　hold　of　Christ's　death



and　resurrection；　without　any　works；　and　that　his　death　and