Changes to the Manual:
Footnotes

Date: 	Mon, 16 Jun 1997 07:43:42 -0400
From: Albert Pietersma 
To: "NETS Discussion" 
Subject: Footnotes to NETS

Dear subscribers to nets-l
The translation committee has decided on a few changes and refinements 
in the NETS editorial policy on footnotes. Therefore what follows should 
be regarded as a replacement for Manual pp. 17-18  I will first give a 
re-write of the section in question, with changes in upper case, and 
then provide a bit of a commentary. Please remember that the ring-binder 
format was used for eventualities just like this one. No doubt others 
will follow. 


4. Editorial Policy .
a. Footnotes
(1) In conformity with the NRSV, annotated items that consist of a 
single word in the English text should be followed by a small raised 
letter (\a/). Items of more than a single word should be enclosed by a 
pair of small raised letters (\a/ . . . \a/). BOTH KINDS appear in the 
apparatus as \a/ (NOT \a/-\a/). In the text, the closing letter follows 
punctuation: .\a/ (not \a/.). As in the NRSV, only the lemma text (or 
its suggested alternative) should be italicized in the apparatus.
(2) Footnotes should be one of four kinds:
    (a) to mark a departure from the base Greek text:
      \a/+ Lord = Ra/Zi ETC.
    (b) to give VARIANT English translationS:
      \a/ Or my son (= AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION WITH A SENSE
          EQUIVALENT TO THE LEMMA)
      \a/ POSSIBLY MY LAD (= A POSSIBLE TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK)
      \a/ PERHAPS MY BOY (= A REMOTELY POSSIBLE TRANSLATION OF
          THE GREEK)
    (c) to mark the Greek text as being of VERY uncertain meaning:
      \a/ Gk uncertain
NOTE: THE NOTATIONS OR, POSSIBLY, PERHAPS, GK UNCERTAIN SHOULD BE
TREATED AS BEING MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE IN ANY GIVEN CASE.

    (d) to clarify:
      \a/Gk schoinos = a land-measure equivalent to several miles
(3) Other sigla used in the footnotes:
       Siglum         Meaning
       pr             preceded by
       om             omitted by
       +              followed by
       =              equivalent to
       i.e.           that is (BY WAY OF EXPLANATION)
       or             alternative translation
       possibly       possible translation
       PERHAPS        REMOTELY POSSIBLE TRANSLATION
       Gk             Greek
       Ra             Rahlfs
       Zi             Ziegler
       Ha             Hanhart
       We             Wevers
       Ma             Margolis

If more sigla need to be used in given translation units, translators
must clear them with the Translation Committee.

Some comment:
By way of explication let me run through the following example:
 (a) My lemma reads: The Lord loves Sion (= that's what I think the text
 means)
 (b) My footnote reads: Or The Lord is fond of Sion (= though it
 isn't my first choice [for a variety of reasons], I'm confident that
 the sense is as good as my lemma)
    ((1)) The alternative may be my own (I'm genuinely torn between
        renderings)
    ((2)) The alternative may be the NRSV reading, which uses a
        borderline  synonym or which is freer in style (or some such;
        but the sense is not affected)
 (c) My footnote reads: Possibly The Lord likes Sion (= though   
 I'm not completely confident, I am reasonably sure that's what the  
 Greek can mean)
    ((1)) What goes here typically is a reading of the NRSV which I
        admit, but which I am less confident about than either my
        lemma or a translation preposed by Or
 (d) My footnote reads: Perhaps The Lord is in love with Sion
 (= though I agree that the Greek may mean this, I have considerable
  doubts)
     ((1)) What goes here typically is a reading of the NRSV which I do
         not wholly reject

Thus, this graded scale can reflect how I, the translator and expert,
feel about options provided by the Greek text. It is anticipated that
in the more literalistic/isolate translations one will make the most
use of the full range of this graded scale. Particularly the "Perhaps"
notation should be used with discretion. The notation "Gk uncertain"
should be used as a last resort, since it cannot be said to help the
reader significantly.
Al

-- 
Albert Pietersma
Near&Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
Toronto M5S 1C1
homepage http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~pietersm/