Steven💉🌿🌹🏨4All reviewed Being and time by Martin Heidegger (SUNY series in contemporary continental philosophy)
Review of 'Being and time' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
Although touted as the new definitive translation I think Stambaugh's translation falls short of that mark. In spite of some glaring flaws, the definitive translation remains the M&R translation from 1962. Although Stambaugh does effectively eliminate some errors in that translation she introduces a host of others in her attempt to render Heidegger's German and neologisms into contemporary American English. This might have the effect of making it more accessible for first-time readers but it also takes away from Heidegger's meaning so greatly that it renders the book almost useless.
The important job of a translator is not to translate the text from one language into another but to render the text in such a way as to translate the reader from the cultural background of one language onto the cultural background of another. Stambaugh has seemingly attempted to do the former and in so doing lost the purpose Heidegger's …
Although touted as the new definitive translation I think Stambaugh's translation falls short of that mark. In spite of some glaring flaws, the definitive translation remains the M&R translation from 1962. Although Stambaugh does effectively eliminate some errors in that translation she introduces a host of others in her attempt to render Heidegger's German and neologisms into contemporary American English. This might have the effect of making it more accessible for first-time readers but it also takes away from Heidegger's meaning so greatly that it renders the book almost useless.
The important job of a translator is not to translate the text from one language into another but to render the text in such a way as to translate the reader from the cultural background of one language onto the cultural background of another. Stambaugh has seemingly attempted to do the former and in so doing lost the purpose Heidegger's work.
