Happy International Translation Day
Random discovery: There is a patron saint of translators. Who knew? Is there a patron saint for everything? How do saints become patron saints of certain things? I will never understand this catholicism business. ;o)Anyway, logically, I can see where the designation came from. St. Jérôme translated the Bible from Hebrew into Latin. International Translation Day is celebrated on the anniversary of his death - September 30.
Apparently Jérôme did not do the TR-01 training program at the Translation Bureau (yes, I firmly believe the Bureau had already infiltrated the world in the year 420) because he made some mighty significant translation errors. The most famous of these is his translation of the chapter in Exodus where Moses comes down from Mount Sinai with "rays of light" coming from his head. Apparently, the Hebrew word for "rays of light" can also mean "horns" and good old Jérôme thought he'd go out on a limb and choose the latter meaning.
Result of the error: Michelangelo decided to use Jérôme's Latin translation and produced a now famous sculpture depicting Moses with horns. Apparently, this is not the only horned depiction of poor Moses. I wonder if a modern day equivalent would be having someone post a horrendous picture of you on facebook for all to see?
I am convinced that this never would have happened if only Jérôme had had a reviser.
Happy International Translation Day.
posted by Dish @ 3:24 PM
1 Comments:
I appreciate translators. Not as much as I appreciate octodogs, but they're right up there.
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