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From: raphael@crystal.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re:  Translations of Talmud to English
Message-ID: <332@crystal.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 30-Apr-84 10:06:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: crystal.332
Posted: Mon Apr 30 10:06:52 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 1-May-84 08:14:51 EDT
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 17

There have been several translations of the Talmud into English.  One
by Rodkinson around 1910 is pretty dreadful; he was embarrassed by
parts, and just passed over them in silence, and in general missed the
point quite often.  He did not translate every volume. My grandfather
was heard to remark (in Yiddish):  "Dos heyst nit ibergezetst; dos
heyst ibergefirt!"  (That's not what you would call a translation.
That's what you would call a traduction!)

The Soncino translation, mentioned by others already, is far better.
However, you will find its use of British terms unnerving unless you
are used to them.  (What is a 'distraint' or a 'bailiff', precisely,
you will often wonder.)  Don't try to pick up a volume and just read
it, by the way; Talmud is full of subtle points and is based on a quite
foreign conception of organization to what you are likely used to.

	Raphael Finkel
	raphael@uwisc