A good translator can be both satisfied and unsatisfied:
unsatisfied with other translations seen,
which urges one to come up with a more satisfactory translation…
which leads to satisfaction with one’s better translation,
till one sees a more satisfactory translation elsewhere,
which is most humbling indeed!
Indeed, I have often found that by reading more translations on a same topic it adds to my better understanding and clarity of what I need to know. I guess no one is better than the other as I often feel it has more to do with affinity between the teacher and the student, and also the latter who may not be ready or lack the merits to receive the teachings.
Agree! But sadly, there are at times, beyond a clearer translation or a less clear one, mistranslations.
:ueue:
Amituofo
Hmmm… In my learning process I have always been guided to think that ‘a translator must request the Elder Virtuous Ones of the ten directions to certify his or her translations’to ensure the translations are certified as being correct’. Then there is always the law of karma which a translator should be aware of. So I find it quite disturbing to read of this.
Many academics who do translations might not be Buddhists, that’s why there might be slight mistranslations here and there, not that they are deliberate. The more translations there are, the more sources for reference there are. While this might be confusing for many, it is a form of safeguard too.