So Trypho got all his cavalry ready to go: The connector So should be kept. Or we may say “Finally” (Contemporary English Version). For cavalry see the comments on 1Macc 1.17. Got all his cavalry ready to go may be rendered “got his cavalry ready to leave for Jerusalem.” Apparently Trypho intended to use a force of cavalry to break through into the hills quickly and resupply the fort without having to use his infantry.

But that night a very heavy snow fell, and he did not go because of the snow: The snowfall at that time might have been as much as 30 centimeters (1 foot) or more. A very heavy snow fell may be rendered “snow fell heavily” or “there was a lot of snow falling.” In cultures where snow is unknown, there are several possible ways to translate it. Some translators will simply borrow the term for snow from a world language such as English, French, or Spanish, and spell it according to the rules of the receptor language. In some languages where the word for “rain” is considered as a generic term for anything falling from the sky, it may be used as a classifier to go with the borrowed word for snow; for example, “rain called snow.” Other translators will use a descriptive expression, such as “white frozen rain” or “small cold flakes that fall from the sky like rain.” However, such an expression may be very awkward sounding. Finally, others will use a very generic expression such as “cold time,” but this is a less satisfactory way to resolve the problem. Whatever solution is adopted, it may be a good idea to add an explanatory footnote or include the term in the glossary.

He marched off and went into the land of Gilead: Good News Bible begins this sentence with the connector “So,” which is helpful. The land of Gilead was east of the Jordan River. It was a long way around to get back home, but by returning by a different route Trypho would avoid the impression of retreating.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.