Changes to the Manual:
Introductions to Books

Notes for introductions to individual books/units

In general you are asked to bear in mind a couple of points. First,
introductions to individual units are meant to deal with what is
specific to any given unit within the more general parameters of NETS,
part of which has been set forth in the Manual. Second, you are asked to
bear in mind that we anticipate publication in both hard copy and
electronic form, and that, possibly, more than one rendition in each may
appear. As a result, the more flexible you can make your introduction
the better. Consider, for instance whether certain paragraphs may not be
made detachable or attachable, along the lines of shorter or longer
versions. You are asked to follow this general outline:
1. Edition of Greek text. Here it should be stated what specific edition
of the Greek forms the basis for your translation. What may also be of
interest to the reader is the nature of the particular edition you used
and how you used it. For example, did you never, sometimes or frequently
feel compelled to deviate from its text?
2. Translational profile of the Greek. Here the general character of the
translation should be discussed; for instance, such things as degree of
literalness (relative consistency in Hebrew-Greek equivalences) and the
translator's tendency to interpret/exegete his text. You may also wish
here to comment on the categories of rendering delineated in the Manual
(for instance, calques, stereotypes, isolate
renderings, transliterations, some specific names [geographical or
personal] that are especially different from English Bible tradition).
Is the translator a hack or a person with some literary taste, or
somewhere in between? Secondly, you may want to deal here with larger
(or smaller) issues of a cultural or conceptual nature, if such can be
delineated with some degree of confidence and are deemed of importance
for the general reader of NETS. What emphases and preoccupations of the
translator are discernible? In the case of books for which no Semitic
parent texts are extant or which were orginally written in Greek, the
focus here should be more straigthforwardly on matters of style and
content.
3. The NETS translation of Book X.  This section should deal with the
relationship of your NETS translation to the NRSV version. What bearing
has the nature of the Greek translation had on your modification of the
NRSV?
Again, following up on the Manual, you may want to discuss some
specifics in relation to your book. Certain words, concepts, phrases may
need to be treated. Other issues of interest are how you dealt with some
specifics of gender-inclusive and gender-specific language; possibly
also whether, based on what the Greek translator did, you have made a
distinction between Lord and LORD, or some such. Here again, for "Greek"
books and those without extant parent, the focus should be on the
specific strategy of English translation you have adopted, in
relationship to or contrast with the NRSV.
4. Editorial policy. Are there specifics not covered by what is noted in
the Manual that need need to be flaggged, such as chapter order or
division, versification, dual text etc? Are there sigla and
abbreviations specific to your book?
5. Bibliographical note. You may wish to mention other English
translations that have proven to be of particular help.


-- 
Albert Pietersma
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
4 Bancroft Avenue, University of Toronto
Toronto, Ont. M5S 1C1
Tel: 416 978-0241, Fax: 416 978-3305
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~pietersm/