It seems that Ven. Thanissaro’s translations at times lack cross checking. So I from time to time find omissions. I have tried to address them to John Bullit. He replied to me the first time almost 10 years ago but these days he seems to be less responsive, so I thought that gathering them here could be useful.
Thank you! This is very helpful because we have these translations on our website too and your post here will show up as a comment to AN 3.70 on SuttaCentral.
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Perhaps we should wait until we have gathered a few. I still have several more to chip in. And I think I gathered a few about Ven. Bodhi as well which coul make for another similar thread.
P.s. whether or not paste has water in it the otiginal Pali text mentions 4 items among which water appears explicitly while Ven T.'s translation mentions only 3 items of which water is missing.
And then, with the fading of rapture, he remains equanimous, mindful, & alert, and senses pleasure with the body. He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones declare, ‘Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasant abiding.’ His earlier perception of a refined truth of rapture & pleasure born of concentration ceases, and on that occasion there is a perception of a refined truth of equanimity (and pleasure). On that occasion he is one who is percipient of a refined truth of equanimity (and pleasure). And thus it is that with training one perception arises and with training another perception ceases.
To come back to AN 3.70, mentioned earlier, the omission of water looks less of a mistake and more intentional when looking at other occurences of the word in subsequent paragraphs:
And how is the body cleansed through the proper technique? Through the use of scouring balls & bath powder [missing: water] & the appropriate human effort.
And how is clothing cleansed through the proper technique? Through the use of salt earth & lye & cow dung [missing: water] & the appropriate human effort.
Now suppose that a man, carrying money and goods, is traveling by a road through desolate country [missing: where food was scarce and dangers were many]. As time passes, he eventually emerges from that desolate country, [missing: and arrives] safe and sound [missing: at a village], (should be removed: with no loss of property). The thought would occur to him, ‘Before, carrying money and goods, I was traveling by a road through desolate country [missing: where food was scarce and dangers were many]. Now I have emerged from that desolate country, [missing: and arrives] safe and sound [missing: at a village], (should be removed: with no loss of my property).’
Here is Ven. Bodhi’s version of the same passage:
Again, great king, suppose a man with wealth and possessions were travelling along a desert road where food was scarce and dangers were many. After some time he would cross over the desert and arrive safely at a village which is safe and free from danger.
The confusion here seems to be that the same similes occur at MN 39, and Ven. Thanissaro probably assumed the texts where the same while there are, oddly enough, slight differences.
