Matthew Clapham
Sep 26, 2023

And, it is worth pointing out, context and nuance (and oddly enough, terminological consistency) are the aspects of translation that AI systems are particularly bad at.

Also, crucially, understanding where a term needs to be slightly or completely unpacked for a reader unfamiliar with the original (which will be practically everyone, for obvious reasons), as in the cited case of dukkha and tanha.

I'd rather trust Jerome and his lion in the cave, for all their missteps.

Nor should one overlook the literary power of the King James version of the Bible in giving a sense of awe, majesty, and hence power, to the text. Again, despite certain errors.

Matthew Clapham
Matthew Clapham

Written by Matthew Clapham

Professional translator by day. Writer of silly and serious stuff by night. Also by day, when I get fed up of tedious translations. Founder of Iberospherical.

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