Good News Translation continues to break down the long, complex sentence of the original by making separate sentences here. This will probably serve as a good model for the receptor language in most cases. The words honor, dishonor, ill repute, and good repute form a stylistic construction known as chiasmus. In such a construction the two center words are paired together, and the two outer words are paired together in the form a-b-b′-a′. In both cases the paired words are basically synonyms. In some languages it may be more natural to put the positive element first in each of the two pairs, but in others the negative element may come first in each case. Naturalness in the receptor language should be the determining factor in the arrangement of these four expressions.

In honor and dishonor: the word translated as honor is the Greek word often translated as “glory” (see 1.20 and 3.7-18). In this context it means “in good reputation,” making it virtually synonymous with the following statement good repute. The term dishonor is elsewhere translated “menial” (Rom 9.21), “degrading” (1 Cor 11.14), “shame” (2 Cor 11.21) and “ignoble” (2 Tim 2.20). This noun is made up of a negative prefix and the stem of a verb meaning “honor,” “revere” or “value.” It seems to refer to the same sort of activities that result in ill repute which follows. Here it may be translated as “by shameful treatment” or “someone esteems me, someone else treats me with contempt” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

In ill repute and good repute: the two Greek terms refer to having a bad reputation and a good reputation. The first two pairs of words may be translated “sometimes people respect us and sometimes they shame us. Sometimes they mock us and sometimes they praise us.” This will also solve the problem of translating passive meanings where this is a problem.

We are treated as impostors and yet are true: treated by whom? Christians? Non-Christians? Literally the Greek says “as deceivers and true.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation correctly translate the last two words of this verse as opposed to what precedes. Though they are treated as deceivers, they speak the truth. The meaning is clearly expressed in Contemporary English Version: “We always told the truth about ourselves. But some people said we did not.” Another possible model avoiding the passive form is “people accuse us of being liars, but we always tell the truth.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .