Assalaamu alaikum,
There are many translations into English, alhamdullillah. But it is important to realize that no translation is going to be able to capture anywhere near the full message of the original. This is not just because it's being translated, but also because the Quran has this amazing ability to express complex ideas in very brief ways. It uses the Arabic language to it's fullest, exploiting layers of meaning of individual words,and then combining them with others in such a way that multiple and complementary meanings can be expressed. Some passages are more idea-dense than others, but they all have a bouquet of meaning (smile. Sorry, I think I'm getting carried away. The Quran does that to you; it's just so...!).
I personally would recommend the translation by Yahiya Emerick (the longer version with the full commentary). He has looked though the ahadith and the sirah (biographical accounts of the Prophet's (PBUH) life), and every few ayahs, he tries to put the context of revelation. This not only may help with the understanding of the text, but also renders it a lot more intimate. You start to feel as if you were there, 1400 some years ago. You start to feel connected to the historical persons, as persons, in all their strengths and weaknesses. And they are loveable.
Sheikh Emerick is also a very widely read man, in both classical Islamic thought, as well as Anglo-American thought. His footnotes are extensive, and again, are incredibly enriching and conducive of a feeling of intimacy. There are ahadith, references to archeological evidence, quotes to great American thinkers, discussions of Biblical points (the author was raised in a devout Protestant family before discovering Islam in University and dedicating his life to learning about Islam)… there is a real feast of delightful information.
He also uses modern English, which is a lot more readable to many people who may not feel as comfortable with a more Shakespearean kind of language that certain other authors have used. Of course, sometimes this may dilute the beauty of the original (the translation of kalla as no way! being a case in point. Personally, I feel that absolutely not! would have been more appropriate in many instances, but that is just my own opinion). Certainly my children, and those of a friend, have preferred this translation.
As for biases, we all have them, whether we want to or not. We are influenced by our cultures and times and personal experiences. And we are also influenced by the language in use at the time of translation. For instance, the word Mankind turns up a lot in earlier translations. This does not reflect sexism in the original Arabic (which actually uses gender inclusive terms like naas), but instead reflects the sexism prevalent in English-speaking societies of the time.
There are many resources online for free, of varying degrees of completeness and quality. By completeness, I mean that the translation may be there, but without the accompanying notes and commentary. This is very unfortunate, because these are really necessary. What I particularly dislike are translations with lots of words which may or may not be put into brackets, that are not at all relevant to the translation, but represent instead the translator's personal interpretations. These interpretations are perhaps valid, but would be best explained (with attendant proofs from, for instance, the hadith literature) in the footnotes, and not posted in the main text where the unknowledgeable might mistake them for the actual (translated) Words of Allah.
There are also useful apps if you have a smartphone. I personally have Bayan Quran on my iPhone. It's free. It's English translation (Pickthall) is not my favourite, but it offers the ability to click on a word to get it's Arabic root (Arabic words have mostly 3 letter roots, that yield connected-yet-distinct-in-meaning verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc), as well as a brief exploration of the general meaning of the root. It can be used in conjunction with any translation you feel most comfortable with, to get a fuller feel of the word.
I know the idea of learning Arabic may seem very daunting for someone with no knowledge of the language (Smile: I've been there!). But it's not all that bad. A good first step is to learn the letters, so the original text feels more familiar. It's very empowering! And maybe over time, you'll start to pick out certain words and so feel closer to the original text.
Incidentally, while I like Yahya Emerick's translation, it is not to be taken as authoritative (no translation should be). As has already been suggested, I also highly recommend having several different translations at home, so that when you come across a passage that is more puzzling, you can look at several translations (and commentaries) for a deeper understanding... and to realize that there is often more than one way of understanding the text. And this is good. Allah has Instructed us to vie with one another in good works (5:48). This disagreement (if polite and with good intentions), is healthy for the Muslim community, I believe.
(Smile) Sorry, this is very long. I hope it may be of some benefit for you. I've certainly enjoyed thinking about this topic!
May Allah Bless and Guide you in your efforts to please Him.
