Translating Lincoln

Translation Challenges Seen Through the Gettysburg Addess

Before four notch and seven years our fathers got further, after this continent, a new nation, understood in the liberty, and the affair inaugurated that all men are caused on an equal footing.

This is the opening sentence of the Gettysburg Address translated both to and from German. It is recognizable, yet nothing like the original. The U.S. Department of State website says of the Gettysburg Address

Few documents in the growth of American democracy are as well known or as beloved as the prose poem Abraham Lincoln delivered at the dedication of the military cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

This makes it ideal for demonstrating the difficulties of translating the Bible. Unless you know a second language, the difficulties and pitfalls of translating between languages may be difficult to grasp, but thanks to the Babel Fish we may understand the difficulties through a truly American text.

I took the text of the Gettysburg Address, translated it into five other languages, then translated each translation back into English. I chose several different languages, hoping to see different weaknesses in each. I was not disappointed. Chinese, Japanese, French, German, and Russian each reveal different linguistic differences between themselves and English. The translation method used here is crude, but this serves to make the difficulties more obvious. The basic principles of translation are still present. The basic meaning of the address comes through, but the beauty and power of the original are diminished.

Read through each of the five and compare them to the English original. What differences do you observe, and what can this tell us about translating the Bible?

My first observation after reading through these computerized translations is that the men and women who have translated the Bible have done a great work, striving to overcome the difficulties you will see here.

Original English

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have, thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Chinese

Four score and seven years ago our father brings, in this mainland, one new country, conceives in is free, with devotes to this proposition all people is the equal which creates.

Now we participate one huge civil war, tests whether that country, or any one country so conceives, with so devotes, possibly for a long time endures.  We meet here in that war one great battlefield.  We devote the part it takes perhaps one final rest the place lives for

these here for theirs life that country.  It is altogether the fitting and suitable we should do this. 

But is not possible in us quite big feeling -- we which devotes cannot consecrate -- we not be able to respect this ground.  The brave person, the life and dies, the struggle, here, has consecrated it increases above our cheap strength or subtracts.  The world will little note, for a long time remembers, what we did say here, but possibly never forgets what their here did do.  It is for us, the life, rather devotes here to them that nobly, until now, continues the work which not completes.  This is causes our here to devote to this great duty extra remains before us -- that we adopts the increase from these respects dead devotes to their here for devotes finally full measure -- that cause that we highly rather solve here these dead cannot die are being proud;  This country has the freedom new birth;  And people's this government, by the people, is the people, cannot eliminate from the Earth. 

Japanese

It had the new nation where our fathers being the same ? where human everyone was drawn up to this continent, being free, are imagined 87 years, ago are used exclusively in proposition.

Now as for us, the nation or nation therefore how it tests you engage in the large civil war where it is imagined, so being lifted up, it is possible to withstand long. We meet here at the battlefield where the war is large. As for us lifting up that part as a final rest place for those which give their lives perhaps here that the nation which lives it came. We to should do this, it is appropriate and appropriate altogether.

But us -- as for us rather than -- where consecrate it is not possible without being possible to lift up us, this land is converted is not possible holy in large feeling. Life of the brave person and it died, it fought, it adds here, or, or that with respect to the power where we who fall are bad directly consecrated. As for worldwide will we say a little note, long here, but remembering, it is not and/or never whether thing can what forgets the thing here. As for that because of our lives, on the other hand, it is because it is lifted up here in the incomplete work which so far, it keeps continuing to be noble so. As for that here before the us -- as for that us from the deceased which can give these reputations for us who should you lift up to the splendid work where -- where the self-sacrifice which is raised in the cause of that those giving last eye full self-sacrifice here is taken it remained these deceased being wasteful on the other hand solve the fact that it does not die very our here, is; There is the origin whose freedom is new in this nation; And this government of the people, from the earth, does not die for the people with the people.

French

Four signs and seven years ago our fathers caused, on this continent, one new nation, conceived in the freedom and dedicate you to the proposal that all the men equal are generated.   

Hour we are couples to you in a great, difficult civil war if that nation, or any nation so as to conceived and therefore dedicated, it can long resist to.     We have come to contact here on a great battlefield of that war.     We have come to dedicate a part of it like space of final pause for those who has given their screw here that that nation could living.     Altogether it is adapted and adapted that we would have to make this.   

But in a greater sense that we cannot dedicate them -- we cannot consecrate -- cannot hallow this earth.     The life good of the men, and the breakdowns, that it has fought, here, have consecrated it far away over our feeding difficult to add or detrarre they give.     The will of the world little famous one, neither long is remembered, than what we say here, but it can never not forget about that what here.     It is for we, the life, rather to be dedicated here to the job not ended that, up to now, they have continued therefore noble.     It is rather affinchè we is dedicated to the great operation remaining before we -- that from these dead men honored we take the increased devozione to that cause for which they have given the last complete measure of devozione here -- those here we highly resolves here that these dead men will not be died in useless;  that this nation will have one new birth of the freedom;  and that this government of people, from people, for people, will not perish from the earth.

German

Before four notch and seven years our fathers got further, after this continent, a new nation, understood in the liberty, and the affair inaugurated that all men are caused on an equal footing.

Now participate we in a large civil war and examine whether this nation or any nation can bear thus understood and so inaugurated, long.     We are met here on a large battleground of this war.     We came to inaugurate a part of it as locking standing place for which gave here their lives, which could live this nation.     It is together fitting and correct that we should do this.   

But in a larger direction, which we -- we cannot do consecrate -- us to inaugurate to be able, cannot do not this soil holy.     Courageous man, lives and the dead, who fought, have to add or take consecrated it off here far over our bad energy.     The world will little note still it remembers long, what here we say, but can never forget, at which it here.     It is for us, which lives, the incomplete work to be inaugurated rather here which they carried up to now so splendid on.     It is rather, so that we can be inaugurated the large task here, which is before us remaining -- that of this honored dead ones we take increased devotion to this cause, for them the last full measure of devotion gave here -- these we repairs here in high of degrees that these dead ones did not die in futile;  that this nation has a new birth of the liberty;  and the fact that this government of the people, by which people, for which people, not from the mass dies.

Russian

4 calculations even 7 years ago our fathers brought forward, on this continent, new nation, understood in the liberty, and intended to the proposal that all people will be created equal.

Now we are included in the the large of grazhdanskayaa war, experiencing that nation, or any nation therefore after I they are understood, and so after 4 intended, they can by length endure. We vstrechany here on the the large battlefield of that of war. We arrived to design part it as final resting place for those they here gave their life that nation I could live. Altogether fitting and correctly that we must make this. But in a deeper feeling, we is which we cannot design - we we cannot bless - us do not be able hallow this earth. The brave living of people, and corpses, which it fought, here, blessed it above our poor force to far add or to entreat. The will of peace smaller note, not by length recalls, we speak here, but can not forget they they made never here. It for us, living, to sufficiently be intended here to unfinished to work which they, thus far, so nobly bore further. It will be sufficient for us here, it is which necessary to design to the large task of that being remaining before us - that from these udostoinnykh dead persons we assume the increased devotion to that reason for they they here gave the last complete measurement of devotion - by those by us it is here high it solves that these dead persons they will not die in the vain; that this nation will have new rozhdenio of freedom; and that this government of people, by people, for the people, will not perish from the earth.

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