Differences in Bible Translations

The following passages are excerpts from the first book, Genesis, of the Old Testament of the Bible. But the passages are different. This is because they come from different translations of the Bible. The first is from the VTI Bible, while the second is from the Catholic Bible. By looking at the two translations we can see the differences in the language used and analyze them to see if they have the same or different meanings. The significance of this analysis is to see if translation changes meaning and to see how the same passage can be interpreted differently based on the way it was translated.

VTI Bible

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

3. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

4. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

5. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Catholic Bible

1. In the beginning God created heaven and earth.

2. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters.

3. God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

4. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness.

5. God called light ‘day’, and darkness he called ‘night’. Evening came and morning came: the first day.

One big difference between the two versions is that in the second verse the Catholic Bible says there is a divine wind hovering over the waters. This is referred to as the Spirit of God in the VTI Bible. A divine wind and the Spirit of God are two very different things. The Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit, is part of the trinity of God- the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. By saying a ‘divine wind’ we do not necessarily get this same understanding. Perhaps this was a wind directed by God. The meaning is unclear and could be any number of things. In this sense the VTI translation is much more specific. Also, the word void is much stronger than the word empty. Void makes me think of a black hole.

In the beginning of the third verse the VTI Bible has the word ‘and.’ This seems to imply that God’s statement is additional or secondary. In the Catholic Bible the verse simply says that God said, “Let there be light.” This makes the statement more profound because it stands alone. It is by itself, thus giving it more weight.

Verse 4 of the Catholic Bible truly emphasizes the actions of God by repeating ‘God’ twice, rather than referring to him the second time as ‘he,’ as in the VTI translation. Also, the Catholic Bible states that the light and darkness were divided from one another. This is a much stronger verb than the verb separated, as is used in the first translation.

I find the fifth verse of the Catholic Bible to be much smoother and easier to understand. The fact that evening and morning came makes it seem like much more of an event, verses a passive occurrence. In the VTI translation there is just a sense that they are now in existence.

I found the Catholic Bible to be much clearer and concise, besides the part in the second verse that talks about the ‘divine wind.’ Otherwise, the Catholic Bible uses stronger, more active language than the VTI Bible. I think this is of great significance because this passage comes from the very beginning of the Bible, the book on which Christianity is based.

What are those young people talking about?

I read several articles about the language use among today's adolescents. It's hot topic. And it completely puzzles and frustrates older generations. The first article was about the ways adolescents communicate online through social networking websites such as Facebook. The article asserted that teenagers are creating a new language to keep secrets from adults. It says they have created this language in order to talk about alcohol, drugs, and parties without their parents knowing. This language goes beyond simple abbreviations. Many teenagers are purposefully spelling words in a creative manner in order to keep their actions private.

The other article was a blog post on the Huffington Post website in which John Brown, a professor at Georgetown, stated that America's dirty little secret is that many young people simply can't speak. Their conversations are continuously peppered with words such as "like" and "whatever." He contends that there are most likely multiple reasons for the disappearance of the use of proper English among the young. There isn't much emphasis on rhetoric nowadays, and we live in a world that has become dependent upon technology such as texting and instant messaging in which abbreviations are common and acceptable. This new form of colloquial language is quickly taking over.

In both articles these vast language changes stem, at least in part, from advances in technology. Sure, often times we talk about how one language is being affecting by other languages, but clearly technology also has a great impact on language. And the youth are heading the charge. This shows how much power young generations have on language and how it evolves over time, for the better or the worse.

I agree that many of us need to steer away from frequent use of "like" and "whatever." Occasionally I catch myself overusing these words and I am horrified by the way I sound. It's hard to sound intelligent or serious when you are constantly saying them. They seem to automatically take away from whatever information you are trying to convey. We should definitely work on removing these fillers from conversation because they are superfluous and can only detract. It's not that all influences from Facebook and texting are bad, it's just that we need to know when it is appropriate to use our different levels of communication. We need to know when to flip the switch. Among friends it doesn't matter if every other word is "like," but in academic and formal settings conventional English is proper. As long as this distinction is made I don't think there is an issue with our language use today. I think it's awesome that teenagers are creating their own language. It's cool, though it proves inconvenient for parents. Everyone just needs to understand the difference between proper, conventional English and our own little idiosyncratic ways of speaking.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-brown/like-it-or-not-americas-d_b_550981.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/7632133/Facebook-speak-Teenagers-create-secret-online-language.html

Language in School: Do students really learn?

I read an opinion piece from the Washington Post, written by a man named Jay Mathews. Mathews was debating whether or not it is useful to offer language classes in high school. While he stated that learning a second language is clearly a useful skill to have, most people take language classes in high school because it's a requirement, not because they actually want to learn. They take a second language to get in to college or to fulfull language requirements for graduation, but all they're really worried about is the grade, not the knowledge that they gain. And do they even really learn that much? Still, these programs are expensive to maintain and they may not be actually doing any good.

I agree that many students only take a foreign language in school because it is some sort of requirement. They aren't necessarily taking the class out of pure curiosity or interest. Because students are often only worried about the grade many don't retain much of their language acquisition after the class ends. This may seem like a waste because then the question is why are we spending all of this money to teach kids something that they aren't going to use or remember?

I must say that my own experience falls somewhere along these lines. My experience is different in that I was always interested in learning Spanish, and that is why I continued taking language classes long after my requirement had been fulfilled. Still, while I would say I demonstrated a commitment to learning the language, I must admit that I feel I've lost a lot of what I learned. I'm not sure how much Spanish I actually remember or am capable of using today. This is somewhat distressing because I think of all the years I studied trying to gain proficiency.

While I may have lost some of my ability to speak Spanish, I still think it was definitely a worthwhile experience. I think it is invaluable to have this exposure to a new language and thus a new culture. This exposure helps to foster understanding and empathy for people around the world and allows us to see things in new ways. For these reasons alone I think that foreign language departments are invaluable.

Also, when you think about it, there are many other subjects taught in school that you will never remember or use again, just as with a foreign language. Yet we still place great emphasis on these subjects, including calculus and chemistry. Honestly, the average person is not going to use their understanding of the periodic table or derivatives on a daily basis. Still, we consider these subjects to be of great importance. We consider this type of exposure to be key in the development of a student, thus why should language exposure be of any less merit?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2010/04/why_waste_time_on_a_foreign_la.html

The Communication Gap Between Boys and Girls

An article in the Vancouver Sun reports that boys are lagging behind girls in communication skills and that this is having a profound effect on their success throughout life. In the primary years, girls are better at communication than boys. This was not an issue earlier because the gap was closed by fourth or fifth grade, but now language requirements are more stringent earlier on in school. Boys no longer have the opportunity to catch up and start off behind. From this predisposed disadvantage they never have a chance to recover.

The repercussions are extreme. Boys do worse in school and then lose interest. School becomes something for girls. Thus, fewer boys are graduating from college. In fact, only 39% of the students graduating from college in Canada are male. This breakdown between men and women was even only a generation ago. Particularly in today's society, having a college degree is imperative. It is now a basic requirement for most jobs, just as the standard used to be a high school degree. Not only does this unabridged communication gap make it more difficult for men to express themselves in everyday life, but not it is also more difficult them to even enter the workplace.

This lack in the facility of language use has a very extreme effect. It demonstrates the importance in our ability to express ourselves. These are skills that can be cultivated, and clearly they are skills that need to be taught. The repercussions extend even farther in that it is then more difficult for men to get married because most women don't want to marry down in education level.

These effects are very dramatic on many personal levels for men. They all stem from the fact that boys are no longer receiving the time they need to develop these skills. They start off at a disadvantage that they never have time to recover. With school becoming more and more language focused, even math is taught with more and more word problems, boys don't even have a chance. This is something that needs to change. For everyone's sake.

I found this topic to be extremely interesting. It reminded me of one of the situations from Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers. One chapter spoke about the hockey league and that cuts are made every February as to which boys should move up to the next level. As it turns out, the boys with birthdays closest to the cut-off date are much more likely to move up in level because they are the oldest and thus the biggest. As a result, though they may have no more talent, at least initially, they receive the most coaching and training because they appear to have more promise. Slowly they do get better than their younger peers just because they are given more attention and direction. It's a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy. This is what is happening with boys and the educational system. Clearly it is something that needs to change.

Language Differences Create Vulnerability

Language barriers are apt to make people feel vulnerable, especially in difficult situations. We briefly discussed this topic in class in relation to medical care. When the doctor speaks a different language, it's often hard to feel secure because you have to use a translator. Communication between health care professionals and patients and families is difficult enough to begin with because this relationship is so unique. Doctors have all the knowledge about what is going on in these scary, often life threatening situations, and patients and families often feel powerless. Language differences only make these interactions even more complicated.

In addition to health related situations, education is also a difficult subject, made harder by differences in language. These were the sentiments expressed by an article I read about language barriers in schools between parents and school administrators. It is a complicated matter for non english speaking parents to navigate the US school systems. This is particularly the case for the parents of children with learning disabilities. They don't know how to ensure that their children are receiving the best education possible and all the help they need. In some places, such as school districts in Florida, there are liaisons to help with the transition into American schools for these children, many of whom have never attended school. These liaisons act as translators between the parents and the school in order to ensure that everyone has the same understanding of the needs of the child. They explain the education system and act as a go-between so that the child receives all the necessary help.

I can only imagine how vulnerable these parents must feel. In situations with translators there is always the possibility that some information is getting lost. This is particularly a scary notion when it comes to important topics such as healthcare and education. A person wants to know that they are receiving all of the information necessary to make an informed decision in whatever the situation, especially when these decisions have potentially life altering effects. This demonstrates the importance of these academic liaisons in schools. Children who need special education are already at a disadvantage in the school system. Those whose parents who can't speak English to understand this most definitely need the help of a translator who understands this impact in order to ensure that the child in question is receiving the best education the school can give them.

Language Purity

Never before had I really considered the fact that a language can be "polluted," in a sense, by other languages. The thought had never occurred to me until it came up in class in reference to the French. Then I saw this article about the Chinese government banning the use of English acronyms such as GDP and MBA from their television broadcasts. The acronyms are supposed to be replaced with what are most often much lengthier explanations in Chinese. I find this new rule to be surprising on multiple accounts.

First of all, China is most definitely a world power. But it is also a huge language power simply based on the sheer number of people who speak it. (As an aside, the article did not specify whether it was referring to Mandarin or Cantonese. I looked up the two languages and discovered that Mandarin is the official language of China and is used in most schools, universities, and television programming.) It seems like, as a result of this language prowess, the Chinese government would be less concerned about the occasional use of English acronyms in television programs. The other thing is that I'm surprised that these acronyms are considered to be of such great import. I don't really understand how they have a big impact on the overall integrity of the Chinese language.

As we discussed in class the other day, the French are also very strict about the use of English words in their language. They even have a whole governmental commission whose purpose is to invent French words for these English counterparts. They are clearly very controlling about the use of their language. This seems a little bit more reasonable to me because French seems to be a language with a little less vitality, just considering it's use is much less common.

Unsurprisingly, this control of language in France extends beyond the use of English acronyms. I went to France this summer with my family and noticed that they play a lot of American music on their radio stations. Actually, the majority of the music was American. But occasionally you'd hear a French version of a song and they played some music by French artists. As it turns out, France actually has a law that states that a certain percentage of a radio station's music must be in French. By law, they are not allowed to have a completely English radio station. At least 40% of the music must be by French artists. This poses a problem for some radio stations when there is not enough French music of a certain genre being produced in France. The appeal to the listeners can decrease because then stations must replay the same French songs over and over again.

I find the subject of language purity fascinating. I understand why many languages with smaller populations of speakers are concerned about pollution from English. Still, why is China so worried? Are there other language powers who are implementing similar measures?

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/04/07/fyi-to-cctv-no-english-acronyms/

http://khuang.com/chinese/dif.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/20/business/worldbusiness/20iht-radio.t_1.html?pagewanted=1

Dual Language Classes

Recently, there have been a lot of articles published about the opening of dual language classes in elementary schools in different parts of California. The aim is to teach kids to be bilingual in english and spanish. The bilingual classes begin in kindergarten and are eventually spread up through the grades of the elementary school. Class is taught in spanish one day and in english the next, constantly alternating between the two and building on what was taught the day before. Data shows that after 5 to 6 years of this teaching style, these students do better in school than their peers in monolingual classes.

I think that teaching classes in both english and spanish is a great idea, especially considering it begins at such a young age. While it would undoubtedly be confusing initially, I think that clear benefits abound. As we all know, the number of spanish speakers in our country is growing exponentially, especially in states such as California. It has become more and more crucial in many professions to speak spanish, and the importance of this skill will only increase with time, eventually becoming a necessity.

It seems that this approach to language learning is very affective, much more so than the traditional method used in schools. Most of us didn't start to learn a second language in earnest until middle school. At this point language classes are then only for perhaps an hour, several times a week. This is the language education I received, and I feel no where near fluent in spanish. Though I continued in high school, and now in college, I still have great strides to make in order to approach fluency.

Obviously one of the best ways to learn a language is to be immersed in it. This is one of the reasons I want to study abroad in Madrid. In addition, the general consensus is that it is easiest to learn a language at a young age. Dual language classes of this sort address both of these issues. Not only are kids being exposed to spanish for extended periods of time, they are also getting this exposure when they are young, before they know of any other kind of learning. This combination seems bound for success for both reasons.

It has also been shown to work in many other school districts, such as in Texas and some areas of Washington. I am curious to hear about how the new type of learning goes in Modesto, California and am sure that it too will have a positive outcome. From other sources I read that the parents are thrilled about the prospect and this in itself gives a positive outlook on the new teaching style. When parents are enthusiastic and involved, this can only mean good things for schools.

http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/05/1115018/dual-language-classes-on-the-way.html