Dear *DC Wijeratna,*

very true. I agree that a free translation makes better reading than a
literal translation keeping in mind the fact that every language has its own
flavour and peculiarities. but, as you rightly point out, here it becomes
misleading.

I searched the net for the "Ara.na <http://ara.na/> Vibhanga sutta".
couldn't find anything.
If it's not too inconvenient, would u kindly send me an attaced file
containing the text with an available translation if possible.

thanks.
with metta,
_________________________________________________

On 10/10/07, DC Wijeratna <dcwijeratna@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Dave,
>
> "wouldn't "gahapati-putta.m" mean householder's son rather than young
> householder..."
>
> I agree with you. The Pali word for a young man is maanava or maanavaka.
>
> I think this error is most probably caused not because the translator
> didn't know the meaning. I think he elsewhere gives the meaning as
> householder's son. So what I surmise is that he did it in order to translate
> it to "idiomatic English".
>
> But I think it is a grave error in translating ancient text to a modern
> language. Words have a meaning only within a context. And that cannot be
> reproduced today, especially in a different tongue.
>
> Take this example, gahapati, is a generic term by the Buddha to indicate
> what we might call head of a household, not even a householder.
> Gahapatiputta really seem to distinguish between a monks and lay people. It
> really means only that he is a lay person who is not a head of a household.
> It is same as 'gihii'. In any case, there is no way to bring the word
> 'young'; puttas also become old!!!
>
> These are some of my thoughts. I think the solution is to use an agreed
> term. See Ara.na <http://ara.na/> Vibhanga sutta.
>
> With mettaa,
>
> D. G. D. C. Wijeratna
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
> http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]