New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) Statement of Principles / Μεταφραστικές αρχές της NETS

Statement of Principles

1. The title of the projected work is A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Old Greek Translations Traditionally included under that Title (herein abbreviated as NETS).

2. The International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS) is the primary sponsoring organization for this project. Grant applications, preliminary and final publications, etc., will be prepared in the name of or on behalf of the IOSCS.

3. For the purposes of NETS, the term Septuagint is understood to be exemplified by, but not in all respects (e.g. exact text, detailed contents) congruent with, Alfred Rahlfs's Septuaginta (1935).

4. Translators will have native or close-to-native fluency in standard English.

5. NETS will normally translate the best available editions. Footnotes will indicate significant semantic departures from the base text.

6. NETS translators will seek to reflect the meaning of the Greek text in accordance with the ancient translator's perceived intent, and as occasioned by the ancient translator's linguistic approach, even when this policy may result in an unidiomatic (though grammatical) English rendering. Appropriate footnotes will inform the reader.

7. Since much of the Septuagint derives from the Hebrew Scriptures, it is important to reflect that dependence as consistently and comprehensively as possible for the English reader. For this reason, NETS consciously attempts to employ the wording and approach of a standard modern English translation of the Hebrew Bible in situations in which the Greek understands the Hebrew text in the same way as the English. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) has been chosen to provide this English base. Where the Greek does not correspond to the Hebrew as understood by the NRSV, translators will make every reasonable effort to represent the differences fully and accurately.

8. The target audience of NETS closely approximates that of the NRSV. Publication in both electronic and print formats is envisioned.

9. The organizational structure of the project will consist of (1) an administrative committee, and (2) a translation committee.

9.1 The president of IOSCS will chair the administrative committee and the Treasurer of IOSCS will serve as financial officer for NETS. Funds specifically raised or earmarked for NETS will be held and administered separately from general IOSCS revenues. The administrative committee will annually prepare an audited statement of NETS funds and submit it to the annual meeting of the IOSCS. Because NETS is primarily sponsored by the IOSCS, the IOSCS Executive Committee will play a major role in the administration of the NETS project.

9.2 The translation committee will be chaired by a member of IOSCS other than the President. The carrying out of this project will be entrusted to the translation committee. If the position of translation committee chair falls vacant, a new chair will be appointed by the IOSCS on the recommendation of the remaining members of the translation committee.

10. An advisory board of senior scholars not actively engaged in the project, whose advice may be sought when deemed appropriate, will be appointed jointly by the administrative and translation committees.



* Source: / Πηγή: Statement of Principles. *