The Greek and Latin that is transliterated as “paradise” in English is often transliterated in other languages as well. Translations include “Place of well-being” (Toraja-Sa’dan, Tzeltal), “abode of happiness (or: of happy people)” (Marathi), “garden of eternal life” (Uab Meto), or the name of a place where you don’t have to work and fruits drop ripe in your hand (Ekari). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
In Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese it is translated as 乐园 / 樂園 (lèyuán in Mandarin, lok6jyun4 in Cantonese). This term, literally meaning “garden of joy,” originates from Buddhist terminology.
See also paradise of God.
The Greek in Luke 1:71 that is translated as “who hate us” is translated in some languages through the negation of its opposite, such as “who do not love/like us” (Ekari). Other solutions include “who cannot see us in the eye (i.e. who cannot stand us at any price)” (Sranan Tongo), or “the ones with swelling jugular vein (because of suppressed anger)” (Uab Meto).
See also hate.
The Greek that is translated as “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” or similar in English is translated in Muna as “what comes-out at the lips, it comes from the fullness/overflowing of the heart.”
René van den Berg explains: “It is very impolite in Muna to mention someone’s mouth (wobha) or tongue (lela). The words themselves are not taboo or obscene, but in combination with a possessor they are frowned upon and should be avoided. In fact, if you want to abuse someone, you should refer to his or her mouth or tongue. The implications for translation are obvious (…). [Sometimes] ‘mouth’ was replaced by ‘lips’ (wiwi), a perfectly acceptable term, even when possessed.”
In the German Luther Bible it says: Denn wes das Herz voll ist, des geht der Mund über or “what the heart is full of, with that the mouth flows over” (source: Zetzsche), in Uab Meto it says “his mouth says only what the heart is more than full of,” and in Tzeltal it is “in our hearts arise all those things which come out of our mouths” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel), and in Elhomwe it is translated literally since that exact idiom is used in that language as well (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
The Greek that is translated as “engaged” or “betrothed” in English is translated in Pampanga as “having-been-given-approval” and Tagalog as “having-been-brought-before-the authorities” (both implying a couple which has already applied to the local civil registrar or priest for a license to marry). Tboli uses “braceleted” (a figurative expression for the giving of property for the dowry, an act that finalizes the marriage contract) and Uab Meto has “publicly pledged to marry (lit. “reciprocally-bound”)” (a term indicating that an interchange of gifts as a pledge for marriage has taken place).
The Greek in Luke 24:11 that is translated into English as “nonsense” or “idle tale” is translated as
- “empty talk” (Uab Meto)
- “wind talk” (Indonesian)
- “carried-around story” (Ekari)
- “purposeless talking” (Kele)
- “words that-frighten without-reason” (Toraja-Sa’dan)
- “talk without foundation” (Pohnpeian, Chuukese) (source for all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- “telling a fairy tale” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004).
- “women’s gossip” (Weibergeschwätz) (German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord, publ. 1999)
- “weird talking” (dwatsche Snack) (Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
- “what-they-had-made-up” (Tagbanwa) (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- “silly talking” (Noongar) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
The Greek in Luke 24:16 that is translated as “their eyes were prevented from recognizing” in English is translated with idioms in languages like Shona with “their eyes were clouded, or, shrouded/blindfolded,” Uab Meto with “their eyes were misty” or with a simile such as “their eyes were just as if they had been caused to be shut” in Marathi.
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated idiomatically with wie mit Blindheit geschlagen or “as if struck with blindness.”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated literally as “horn of salvation” and less metaphorically as “mighty savior” in some English versions is translated along those lines in many languages as well:
- Uma: “a powerful War chief who brings salvation”
- Una “a very powerful Person to us who will rescue people” (source for this ans above: Dick Kroneman)
- Elhomwe “powerful savior” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
- Mairasi: “the strong One Who will save us” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bariai: “this man came to retrieve us back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Uab Meto, however the term for “horn” is also used metaphorically for “hero” and in Balinese the term for “tusk,” which suggests “champion/hero” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel).
In Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999) it is translated as “our mighty Saviour.” Ernst Wendland (1998, p. 155f.) explains: “A literal rendering of the Greek ‘horn of salvation’ causes real problems in Chichewa due to the strong association that an animal ‘horn’ has with the local practice of sorcery (e.g. a ‘sorcerer’ is referred to as wanyanga ‘person of a horn’). Since the horn was a symbol of strength in biblical times, [we] translated this metonym as ‘our mighty Saviour.'”
The Greek in Luke 24:25 that is often translated as “slow of heart” in English is translated as
“the heart is hard” in Zarma
“very heavy in heart” in Uab Meto
“blocked-hearted” in Indonesian
“lazy to think” in Tae’
“having a heart that delays” in Shona (translation of 1963)
“failing-heart-people” in Adamawa Fulfulde (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
“hard-headed” in Kupsabiny (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
“You guys tuberfully-dug are beeswax” in Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)
“dull heart” in Low German (source: translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
