At 09:17 PM 15-05-04, rett wrote:

>>
>> > 24. Kusala.m karontaa netaaro sagga.m gantaaro
>>> bhavissanti.
>>> good deeds / doing / leaders / [to] heavens /
>>> goers / will be
>>> The leaders doing good deeds will be goers to
>>> the heavens.
>>
>>"will be goers to the heavens" - well, that's literal,
>>but is it English? "Will go to heaven" seems to me
>>sufficent.
>
>"...will be heaven goers" might be a nice way to translate it. (By
>analogy with the expression 'church goers'.)
>
>Still, I kind of like extremely literal translations as answers to
>exercises. They sacrifice some idiomatic correctness in favor of
>reflecting the syntax of the Pali. In this sort of exercise it could
>be a worthwhile trade-off.

I know that this is definitely "asmimana-based", but I must say that I like your choice, Rett. Seems like we share the same inclination in translation. I like to be literal too, and do get cheap thrills when I find a literal translation that suits perfectly.

However, I would sacrifice a literal translation for an alternative if the alternative does a better job in communicating the meaning and carrying through the connotations and nuances. But I do like "heaven goers".


peace

Kumâra Bhikkhu