Have asked Hercules to consider doing a swap

I’ve asked Hercules if he’d consider allowed me to clean the Augean stables, in return for cleaning up the word document containing the Coptic fragments of Eusebius Quaestiones.  At least, I would have done but I don’t have his mobile number.  And anyway, I think the big lunk would refuse. 

The file contains any number of points at which the translator has indicated two possible meanings rather than one.  This leaves me as the editor to decide which best fits the context.  But I shall choose the more English-like, and place the other in a footnote unless it is simply an identical idea in a different word.

Another problem is where the text changes from translation to commentary or general remarks, all placed inline and not distinctly marked off.  This ought to have been in footnotes, I think.

But I have now processed the translators pencilled comments into the file, and am reworking it now.  I think the translation — which is what it is all about in the end — really is good, and sound.  All the rest is less important.

The translator also went over the transcription, which I had not expected, but which was good.  In truth the transcriber made some mistakes.  But he didn’t do a bad job (aside from omitting one entire line, by the process known to all manuscript buffs), and probably there are only four or five typos.

Onwards…

UPDATE:17:41.  A very hard day’s work, but the Coptic is now in the same form as the rest of the book.  I’m awaiting the Syriac transcription, but otherwise the heavy lifting is all done.

The next stage is cross-referencing the Syriac, Coptic and Arabic fragments with the Greek.  I’m fairly tempted to use Lulu and print off a copy of the whole thing in a spiral binding, with nice wide margins, so I can scribble on it.  We’ll see.   I also need to go through and remove the TODO marks in various places.

One issue I have not resolved is whether to use the translation of the introduction to Lagarde’s catena.  Lagarde wrote in Latin, but I had it run into English for the Coptic group.  It’s quite interesting; but out of date, of course.  That reminds me; some kind friends sent me some PDF’s of material relating to it, which I need to read.

But I’ve done enough for today.    I might bunk off and go and play Microsoft Freelancer instead this evening!