Chapter 12

The Qualities of a Good Translation

REMEMBER:

A good translation should be:

ACCURATE

The translator must re-express the meaning of the original message as exactly as possible in the language into which he is translating.

CLEAR

The translation should be clear and understandable. The translator aims to communicate the message in a way that people can readily understand.

NATURAL

A translation should not sound “foreign.” It should not sound like a translation at all, but like someone speaking in the natural, everyday way.

Thus the three most important qualities of a good translation are:

ACCURACY

CLARITY

NATURALNESS


From Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles by Katharine Barnwell, 2017, page 24.