Religious Text Translation: Boundaries and Straegies

Abstract

Scholars unanimously agree on the complexities and challenges of translation, particularly in the context of translating cultural and religious texts and terminology. As a result, translating religious texts has often been the subject of criticism due to the recognition that translation faces certain challenges and limitations that cannot be entirely overcome. These challenges emanate from two key factors: first, the relative success of religious translation, and second, the dynamic nature of communication that the translated text achieves in comparison to the original. The difficulty arises from the fact that religious terms carry deep cultural and semantic layers that are embedded in the original text. Therefore, the translator must not only convey the linguistic elements of the term but also translate its significance within the broader societal context. While the concept may remain consistent across cultures, the terminology itself often varies from one society to another. This study aims to explore the primary linguistic and semantic challenges in translating religious texts and proposes some methods and strategies to address these difficulties.