Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Dynamic Equivalence

It seems that Google has also come out in support of the old vox obscura style of liturgical translation under which we suffered for so many years. Even as we speak, in a theology faculty break room somewhere in Europe, the fellow who contributed this translation is explaining to his colleagues why this is a more fitting translation for the liturgy... after all, “Understatement in English is sometimes the most effective means of emphasis.” (link goes to the Fishwrap; you were warned.)
When this popped up on a friend’s Facebook page, I thought it must have been a joke made by a clever photoshopper, but that really is what Google turns in as a translation of “Kyrie, eleison.” (h/t to JG for the joke about the contributor.) The translation of the second invocation seems to refer to the new tenor of the feast of Christ the King.

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