raphael@crystal.ARPA (04/30/84)
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