From A.V. to Basic

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 108, 18 July 1941, Page 5

From A.V. to Basic

VERY old and very great book first claims our attention-an ancient and revered book in a new version. The New Testament has been printed in many forms, for the fineness of its imagery, the magnificence of its simple speech has, no less than its unparelleled statement of Christian ethics, gripped the minds of men. Not seeking to glorify themselves, but to lay the word open to all, many have spent years of scholarship in re-translating the New Testament, or portions of it, sometimes adding to illumination of passages here and there; sometimes, less successfully, seeking to challenge the whole interpretation of this Book or that; and all, I think I may say, failing to detract one iota from the inspiring rhythmic glory of the great authorised yersion

of 1611. That noble work will remain, I think, the ultimate triumph of religious scholarship while English continues to be spoken. English may pass as the universal language, but we must remember that it is beyond the comprehension still of more of the earth’s inhabitants than it reaches. All of which is

preparatory to saying that I welcome, as I think all will do, a new version of the New Testament which comes from the Cambridge Press-The New Testament in Basic English. " Basic," is, as you most probably know, a simplified form of English of which it is claimed that it can, by means of a vocabulary of 850 words, express the sense of anything that can be said in the English language — 850 words, and Shakespeare, whose range of words might be challenged by the veriest schoolboy to-day, had a vocabulary of 15,000! It makes the claim for Basic English seem, shall we say, excessive; this publication of the most famous of all our books in Basic offers the best test of that claim. I am leaving the question for you to judge--(Book Review by John Moffett, 4Y A, June 25.)