Honoring the messenger
pp. 65-74
in: Helmut Wautischer, Alan Olson, Gregory J. Walters (eds), Philosophical faith and the future of humanity, Berlin, Springer, 2012Abstract
What is the true language of Jaspers' works in English? Why are Jaspers' texts in English frequently regarded as unintelligible? How can a balance be struck between literary and literal translation? This chapter critically examines these questions in the light of selected examples of successful English translations. Furthermore, it shows how conveying the "otherness' of Jaspers' thought is intrinsically linked to the editorial and interpretative decisions which reveal the profound implications of Jaspers' central metaphors. Here, the question concerning appropriate language refers back to the age-old dichotomy of interpreting the message, yet without jeopardizing the originality of the linguistic idiom.