The people raised a great shout and made a joyful noise in their city: Good News Translation has also done well here. Compare the literal Revised Standard Version, which doesn’t make the reader want to jump for joy. Good News Translation with “the people cheered so loudly that the whole town echoed with sounds of joy” has actually expanded a bit on New English Bible, which has “the people raised a great shout and made the town ring with their cheers.” It is a helpful expansion, however, since it accents the idea of a joyful noise, which is only implied in New English Bible. The translator’s aim here should be to infuse the description with the triumphant joy felt by the people, and make the reader feel it.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.