The Hebrew that is translated as “sprinkle it with his finger” is translated in Tibetan with a culturally equivalent. David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 24) explains: “The verb used in Tibetan for ‘sprinkle’ is very specific, and means ‘to flick with the third finger of the right hand.’ This is the verb used to describe what monks do when they make offerings involving liquids. The translator felt that the ad- vantages of using a word that fits precisely in the context of religious sacrifices outweighed any risk that the nature of Aaron’s ritual action might be misunderstood. The Hebrew text does not specify exactly how Aaron was to perform the sprinkling, so the implication that it was done with the third finger of the right hand was not considered significant enough to cause a problem.”
metal
In Babatana there is no generic equivalent for “metal,” so silver and gold, the only metals known, were made explicit. (Source: David Clark)
Likewise, in Tibetan, there is also no generic equivalent, so there the translation is “gold, silver, copper, iron etc.” (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21).
Hail, Long live / live forever
The Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated in English as “long live” or “live forever” and the Greek that is translated as “Hail” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese as wànsuì (万岁 / 萬歲) or “(may you live) 10,000 years” which was used to hail Chinese emperors and, more recently, the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong (Máo Zhǔxí Wànsuì [毛主席万岁] or “May Chairman Mao live for ten thousand years!”).
Likewise it is also used in these verses in other East Asian languages, including Japanese with ban zai (ばんざい / 万歳), Korean with man se (만세), Vietnamese with vạn tuế or muôn tuổi, or Mongolian with mandtugai (мандтугай). (Note that Mongolian does not use that term for the New Testament renderings.) (Source: Zetzsche)
For more information on this phrase, see 10,000 years .
In Tibetan, “live forever” is reserved for the Dalai Lama and cannot be used. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 23)
See also greetings (Japanese honorifics) and LORD of hosts.
logical placement of Nahum 3:2
In Tibetan, “well-formed individual sentences are important, but unless they are linked correctly according to the conventions of the receptor language, the chain of events or the logic of an argument can remain difficult or even impossible for the reader or hearer to follow. In Nahum 3:2, the problem is rather different: this is the middle one of three verses which are deliberately abrupt and disjointed in Hebrew. They are describing the scene of chaos and panic as Nineveh is captured by its enemies, and the challenge to the translator is to reflect this as the Hebrew does. In Tibetan, repetition is normally regarded as poor style and boring, but in this verse the translator chose to violate the norm by repeating the phrase ‘the sound of’ before the four sounds described, thus producing a cohesive and climactic effect by means of stylistic surprise.” (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21)
with blight and mildew and hail
The Hebrew that is translated as “with blight and mildew and hail” is translated in Tibetan as “hot and strong and black.” David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22) explains: “In Haggai 2:17, there is mention of ‘blight and mildew and hail.’ Blight and mildew in the Holy Land are the results of opposite extremes of humidity, produced respectively by dry winds from the desert and moist winds from the Mediterranean. For Tibetan readers unfamiliar with the weather patterns of that area, the cumulative effect is expressed in a partially figurative manner by saying the winds were ‘hot and strong and black’ (meaning very severe).”
the early rain and the later rain
The Hebrew that is translated as “the early rain and the later rain” is translated in Tibetan as “rain at the appropriate time.” David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22) explains: “In Deuteronomy 11:14 there is mention of ‘the early rain and the later rain,’ referring to the autumn rain and the spring rain in the Holy Land. A literal translation in Tibetan would have been meaningless, and ‘summer rain and winter rain’ would have been ecologically misleading, so the translator used a set expression in Tibetan meaning ‘[rain] at the appropriate time.’ This captures the focus of the Hebrew without distorting the weather patterns of the eastern Mediterranean.”
See also early rain.
son vs. grandson
“Son of x, son of y” must be rendered as “son of x or grandson of y” in Tibetan or else it will sound like two different people. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21).
Note: The same translation solution is chosen in many contemporary English Bibles that emphasize easy readability, such as the Contemporary English Version, Common English Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, or New Living Translation.
See also father / grandfather.
sons and daughters
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “(your / their) sons and daughters” is translated in Tibetan as “children,” because it sound more naturally. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22)