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HWBrakman.

18820

from his piend M :
Rhenius.

Palameottal.
July 8th 1825.

AN

ESSAY

ON THE

C.

Brinciples of Translating

THE

HOLY SCRIPTURES,

WITH CRITICAL REMARKS ON VARIOUS PASSAGES,

PARTICULARLY IN REFERENCE TO THE

Tamul Language.

BY

C. T. E. RHENIUS,
MISSIONARY TINNEVELLY.

NAGERCOIL:

TRINTED AT THE MISSION PRESS.

1827.

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Essay &c.

The Bible is the most important Book in the world, not only because it contains the earliest history of mankind, and conveys. a great mass of other useful knowledge, and must therefore have a great influence upon the formation of the ideas and style of every nation;—but also because it contains a knowledge with which our eternal interest is intimately connected. How important therefore, especially in the present time in which such unparalleled exertions are making, for translating the sacred oracles in the languages of all nations, is a right understanding of the principles of trauslating; and a careful and candid consideration of the many conflicting opinions that have arisen upon the subject. Some are for a literal translation, others for a free one; some conceive that the style should. be written according to the manner of speaking among the illiterate, others according to the manner of the learned; some are for ma king a translation from another authorized version, others from the originals. It is evident that the value and usefulness of a translation will be greatly enhanced or diminished, by its being made upon either of these opposite principles. How then is this important point to be determined? I conceive that only those who are practically acquainted with the work of translating, can give a suitable opinion upon the subject; and hence it is very desirable, that every such person should contribute his mite towards settling the various opinions of good men upon it.

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This consideration has induced me to communicate to the pious and learned public those principles, which upon mature deliberation, and after several years experience in the work of translation in general, and in that of the sacred scriptures in particular, I conceive ought to be adopted; especially in reference to translating the sacred oracles in one of the Eastern languages, viz. the Tamul, the peculiarities of which are calculated to throw considerable light on the subject, and present it in a still clearer view, than European languages can possibly do, on account of its dissimilarity both in construction and expression to the original languages. I conceive then,

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