Aesthetics as a Primary Determiner of Quality

This paper seeks to bring a renewed focus on conveying the aesthetic attributes of the source language (SL), as far as may be reasonably possible, into the target language (TL) as a predicating factor for determining the quality and acceptability of a translation. The call for the aesthetic dimensions of the SL to be reflected in the TL is not new, nor are studies highlighting Biblical aesthetics. Earlier voices have previously sounded the clarion call for Bible translations, particularly of Hebrew poetry, to reflect the beauty, euphony and prosody of the SL. What this paper seeks to offer, then, is another voice advocating for a renewed emphasis on the aesthetic beauty of the Biblical texts, and a reminder that aesthetic literary considerations are a vital factor in the overall quality of a Bible translation. In the rush to get the meaning of the SL conveyed into the TL as quickly and pragmatically as possible, these aesthetic considerations can easily be overlooked. In turn, this can lead to reduced acceptability and minimal ownership of the TL translation. This paper will argue that aesthetic beauty is an essential component of the multi-threaded tapestry of translation. In particular, the sonic value of a text can often been seen by the TL community as a primary indicator of quality, thereby greatly impacting the acceptability, usability, ownership and the experiential joy of the text. An example of this will be given by briefly tracing a Tibetic language translation team’s journey in navigating TL aesthetic sensibilities with a particular focus on euphony and prosody. Some recommendations to the Bible translation community will also be made.