The Shorter Bible 1959 【胡適談聖經翻譯 1937】

胡適紀念館 Hu Shih Memorial Hall

【胡適談聖經翻譯】

　　胡適是個無神論者，但他也是當時中國第二大的《聖經》收藏家。1937年3月17日在北平美華聖經會大樓舉行《聖經》展覽會，展出不同語言、方言、年代、版本的《聖經》，並由胡適演講「《聖經》與文學之關係」。胡適當天的演講從《聖經》翻譯出發，除略述《聖經》翻譯源流之外，更提出了對未來《聖經》翻譯的展望。

　　1937年3月18日《華北日報》對此事有詳細的報導（因為報導版面過長，所以附圖版面有經過調整）：

　　由利瑪竇迄今三百年來，《聖經》展覽此尚為第一次，允足稱貴，蓋僅就收藏興趣一點言之，對此「天下奇書」之搜羅展覽，已足令人心快。惟「聖經與文學」一題，周作人先生曾於十四年前《小說日報》上著論發揮，既詳且盡，可以參看。今日祇略言其宗教經典之繙譯，對於中國之文學影響及本人對於《聖經》之數點希望而已。

　　在我國歷史上大規模之從事繙譯外國文字，約有二次：二次且皆為受宗教信仰之啟發。一為第一至第十世紀之九百年來繙譯佛家書籍之努力，成書二千種，現仍為人諷誦者尚有《華嚴經》、《法華經》、《維摩詰》等二十餘種。其影響於中國文學者則（一）介紹國人創作上之新材料，新形式。（二）引起創作家之想像力，擴大文學描寫之範圍。此皆中國文學篇所缺乏者。第二次則為近世紀來之西洋書籍之大批繙譯，而此中最足稱述者為「《聖經》」之繙譯。其故亦有二。（一）因繙譯《聖經》者之具有宗教的虔誠嚴肅態度，忠實於繙譯，及《聖經》本身之優美故譯本成為一種「直譯的模範作品」（Model literal translation）簡明可愛，由以官話譯本中「〈福音〉」（Gospels）及「〈舊約〉」（Old Testment）中〈詩篇〉等部，堪稱為優美之文學作品，影響於中國創作家及譯著家者甚多。（二）則為中文聖經之於中國方言方面的供献。中國方言甚多，初無有文字之形式記載，有方言《聖經》之譒譯後，乃給中國多種方言以文學上之價值，對於研究語言學、語音學、民俗學上，有莫大之裨益。

三點希望:

　　惟中文之譒譯聖經，尚有為能如吾人希望之極者，簡言之有三，亦即余對《聖經》譒譯之希望：（一）譯語尚未能完全近代化。蓋近年中國語言，變化甚速，而《聖經》譯語尚多守舊者，故仍須繼續新譯，以合時代。（二）宗教的守舊拘謹精神，致《聖經》尚未採用新式標點、排列、形式，以更發揮其文學的趣味。─Moulton之「《近代讀本的聖經》」則清新可喜─如〈雜歌〉、〈詩篇〉、〈箴言〉、〈約伯記〉，皆最美之文學，而未能以新形式體裁表達之。（三）將《聖經》作為文學看，注重「科學的《聖經》學」，提倡收藏、批評、校刊、訓詁，諸工作，並編著用作參考之辭典類書，以備閱者之方便檢閱。果能如此，則影響中國文學喚起更多讀者，必更廣大也云云。

胡適在1959.6.3 向人借本"Short Bible " (胡頌平原文)
它是革命的本子
把聖經寫成按照年代的先後來安排
現在我找不到


我找到了


應該是The Shorter Bible
這版本的介紹

   The Shorter Bible

Abbreviation:	SBK
Released:	1925
Contents:	Old Testament, New Testament
Source Used:	Charles Scribner's Sons (NT 1918, OT 1925)
Location:	Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom

This version, in two volumes, was translated by Charles Foster Kent, with the collaboration of four other persons. The aim, through the selection of certain parts of the Bible which have seemed to the editors especially well suited, is to kindle the interest of the busy modern reader in the Bible as a whole. It is not intended as a substitute for the complete text or the time-honored versions.
Duplications have been omitted, while kindred parts have been brought together. The material in each group has been arranged according to the nature of its contents or the order in which it was written. Thus, the order of the King James Version is not followed. The groups in the Old Testament are titled as follows: Stories and Histories, Laws, The Prophets, The Lyrics, and The Teachings of the Wise. In the New Testament, they are titled as follows: Matthew, Mark, and Luke; The Teachings of Jesus; The Acts of the Apostles; PaulÌs Letters; Later Writings; and The Gospel of John. The Index of Biblical Passages in both Testaments lists the books, the Biblical reference, the section number, and the page number.

Sample Verses

Genesis 1: 1, 2
In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth,
And while the earth was still unformed and chaotic,
With darkness on the surface of the deep,
And the Spirit of God brooding over the waters, ...

John 1: 1 - 3
In the beginning was the divine Wisdom, and the divine Wisdom was with God, and the divine Wisdom was God. He was in the beginning with God; through him all things came into being and without him nothing which existed came into being.

Comparisons

The following comparative studies include this version:

1. From Eternity or From Ancient Times?
2. Speech Problem of Moses