再思圣经译本的标点符号——以弗1:3-14为例

On the Punctuation Usage in Bible Translations——the Case of Ephesians 1:3-14

现存的第二、三世纪新约希腊文文本有少数标点符号,但无统一的规范。各译本的标点符号是由译者们断定。新约希腊文修辞常用冗长的复合句。例如,以弗所书1:3-14是一复合长句,而标点符号的处理应遵循两个基本原则,首先是句子长度易于朗读,再者是语义完整正确并反映原文语法修辞。译本的比较显示,有些译本的标点符号间字数过多,不易一口气读完。再者,有些译本,几乎全部用逗号,使长句内的子句很难分开;另有一些译本,用太多的句号,所有子句都译为独立的句子,失去原文的修饰关系。

The existing New Testament Greek manuscripts did have few punctuation marks but not standardized. The punctuation usage in the translations is determined by the translators. Lengthy complex sentences are not uncommon in the New Testament. Ephesians 1: 3-14 is an example having more than 200 words yet a single sentence. Two principles are considered for punctuation usage: first, the length of a unit should be limited for readers to grasp within a breath;secondly, the meaning and rhetoric of the original texts should be represented. The comparison of translations shows that some Chinese translations apparently leave units too long, and some translations lose the original grammatical structure of modification by using comma only or too many periods.