106
and a wide variation in their scientific or literary aims, they display a remarkable
degree of consistency in how they use terms related to directions of the compass.
It is good practice when translating that, as far as possible, different words in the
original language should be rendered by different words in the new language; and
that a given word should be represented always, when practicable, by the same
word. The translator needs to establish carefully how sets of related terms are to be
handled; and the juxtaposition of multiple sources in one volume gives an opportunity to formulate ‘rules of engagement’ to ensure consistency and give readers a true
basis for comparison. Such sets of terms include those for harbours and other
stopping- points for ships, and those for seas and oceans; in considering both of
which we shall see that it is no simple matter to match Greek terms to English, particularly when, as in the latter case, modern British English offers no rich store of
familiar alternatives.
Particular problems arise, however, with the cardinal directions. (1) First, Greek
has two words in common use for each, whereas English has only one. Accordingly,
translators generally employ each of the four terms ‘north’, ‘east, ‘south’, and ‘west’
to represent two Greek words, usually without indicating which one stands in the
passage being translated. Is it possible to indicate in some way which term has been
translated? (2) Second, unlike the four English terms, the eight Greek terms also
have non-directional meanings in their own right, and can keep those original meanings in non-directional contexts. Is it unavoidable that we should conceal the alternative senses of a Greek word by silently using two different words to represent it
in English: sometimes a directional term, sometimes not?
The second problem is perhaps less serious than the first; translators are used to
judging when to represent one foreign word by different English words depending
on the context, as very often the semantic range of a term does not exactly coincide
with that of a single English word. The first problem is more thorny. We may make
a text seem artificially familiar if, in so crucial an aspect as this, we translate different Greek words by the same English word without indicating that we have done so.
Yet that is the practice of most translators of Classical works when faced with two
Greek words that mean the same thing in English. This paper explores the extent to
which a more nuanced response to the sources is possible.
4
2 Anchoring the Past
Direction terms are not the only area in which ancient Greek possesses a larger set
of terms than current British English.
Erythraian Sea; Pseudo-Plutarch, On Rivers; Arrian, Circumnavigation of the Black Sea;
*Dionysios Periegetes; Agathemeros; Dionysios of Byzantion; anon., Stadiasmos. Late antique:
*†Avienus, Ora maritima; †anon., Expositio; Markianos, Circumnavigation of the Outer Sea;
†anon., Hypotyposis; Pseudo-Arrian, Circumnavigation of the Black Sea.
4 The focus of this brief investigation is exclusively upon translation into English.
D. G. J. Shipley
and a wide variation in their scientific or literary aims, they display a remarkable
degree of consistency in how they use terms related to directions of the compass.
It is good practice when translating that, as far as possible, different words in the
original language should be rendered by different words in the new language; and
that a given word should be represented always, when practicable, by the same
word. The translator needs to establish carefully how sets of related terms are to be
handled; and the juxtaposition of multiple sources in one volume gives an opportunity to formulate ‘rules of engagement’ to ensure consistency and give readers a true
basis for comparison. Such sets of terms include those for harbours and other
stopping- points for ships, and those for seas and oceans; in considering both of
which we shall see that it is no simple matter to match Greek terms to English, particularly when, as in the latter case, modern British English offers no rich store of
familiar alternatives.
Particular problems arise, however, with the cardinal directions. (1) First, Greek
has two words in common use for each, whereas English has only one. Accordingly,
translators generally employ each of the four terms ‘north’, ‘east, ‘south’, and ‘west’
to represent two Greek words, usually without indicating which one stands in the
passage being translated. Is it possible to indicate in some way which term has been
translated? (2) Second, unlike the four English terms, the eight Greek terms also
have non-directional meanings in their own right, and can keep those original meanings in non-directional contexts. Is it unavoidable that we should conceal the alternative senses of a Greek word by silently using two different words to represent it
in English: sometimes a directional term, sometimes not?
The second problem is perhaps less serious than the first; translators are used to
judging when to represent one foreign word by different English words depending
on the context, as very often the semantic range of a term does not exactly coincide
with that of a single English word. The first problem is more thorny. We may make
a text seem artificially familiar if, in so crucial an aspect as this, we translate different Greek words by the same English word without indicating that we have done so.
Yet that is the practice of most translators of Classical works when faced with two
Greek words that mean the same thing in English. This paper explores the extent to
which a more nuanced response to the sources is possible.
4
2 Anchoring the Past
Direction terms are not the only area in which ancient Greek possesses a larger set
of terms than current British English.
Erythraian Sea; Pseudo-Plutarch, On Rivers; Arrian, Circumnavigation of the Black Sea;
*Dionysios Periegetes; Agathemeros; Dionysios of Byzantion; anon., Stadiasmos. Late antique:
*†Avienus, Ora maritima; †anon., Expositio; Markianos, Circumnavigation of the Outer Sea;
†anon., Hypotyposis; Pseudo-Arrian, Circumnavigation of the Black Sea.
4 The focus of this brief investigation is exclusively upon translation into English.
D. G. J. Shipley