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VIEWS ON A VERSION
L De Winter (Investigator #29, 1992 November)
One of the philosophical bases of modern radical feminism is that our
very language oppresses women. Therefore in order to assist in stamping
out this alleged oppression we must pander to those who would destroy
our language.
There is another group in existence that has via the subtle world of advertising made us pander to them. This is the Bible translation industry. We are made to feel that unless we have the latest translation or version then we are not full and complete Christians. And the publishing and printing companies are reaping a financial harvest of plenty! The Good News Bible is a non-scholarly but quite acceptable translation into modern colloquial English, the language which is generally spoken in Australia. Yet the Bible translation industry decided to make the Bible more understandable for Australians. Yet Australians speak standard English with minimum variation! And what does this unnecessary version give readers so that they might think they have something new? "Sick" instead of "ill"; "paddock" instead of "field"; "people" instead of "persons"; "dinner" instead of "supper". This linguistic triumph gives us "jailed" instead of "imprisoned", only the spelling is incorrect, it should be spelled "gaoled". However, given the colloquial English usage, perhaps "rooster" instead of "cock" is at least one justifiable change! SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
AUSTRALIAN and US/BRITISH TEXTS
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