Wendland, Ernst R. The Cultural Factor in Bible Translation (UBS Monograph Series No. 2). London: United Bible Societies, 1987.
The Hebrew in Genesis 16:12 that is translated as “wild ass of a man” of “wild donkey” in English is translated in Chol as “uncontrollable” (with a negative connotation).
In Chichewa (interconfessional translation) it is translated as mtima wa chilombo or “with the heart of a beast.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 130)
See also wild ass.
The report of the carrying out of Naomi’s plan occasions the same problems for the C/T receptor that her preceding words did (v. 3). In fact, the clash in customs is reinforced. One must be careful in this account not to employ an expression for the original “his heart was merry” (after drinking) which would suggest that Boaz was in a drunken condition. Furthermore, it is necessary in both Chichewa/Chitonga to add the words, “While he (Boaz) was asleep . . . ,” in order to reduce the likelihood of overtones of illegitimacy being mistakenly attached by receptors to Ruth’s actions here.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 178.
The Hebrew in 2 Kings 10:15 that is translated as “Is your heart as true to mine as mine is to yours?” or similar in English is translated in Chichewa (interconfessional translation) with the existing idiom “You and I, our hearts have met together.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 104)
The Hebrew in 1 Samuel 25:17 that is translated as “no one can speak to him” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga with the existing metaphor “he is like talking to a stone.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 131)
The Hebrew in 2 Kings 14:8 that is translated as “Come, let us look one another in the face” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga with the existing idiom Uboole, tubone mwaalumi or “Come, let us see the man (i.e., who is the stronger between us).” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 104)
The Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic that is translated in English as “(as white as) snow” is translated in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec as “(as white as) volcano frost,” the only white kind of frost that is known in that language (source: Nida 1947, p. 160.). Likewise, it is translated in Chichewa as matalala or “hail stones,” since “hail in Central Africa, when it occurs, is also white” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 72).
In Obolo it is translated as abalara: “white cloth” (source: Enene Enene), in Bambam and Bura-Pabir as “like the white of cotton” (source: Phil Campbell in Kroneman 2004, p. 500 and Andy Warren-Rothlin), in Muna as “white like cotton flowers” (source: René van den Berg), in Sharanahua as “like fresh Yuca root” (source: Holzhauen / Riderer 2010, p. 72), in Tagbanwa as “white like just broken waves” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation), in Chitonga as “as the cattle egret ” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 130), in Nabak as “white as a white cockatoo ” (source: Grace Fabian ), in Cerma “white like the full moon,” except in Psalm 51:7 where the Cerma translators chose “wash me with water until I shine” (source: Andrea Suter in Holzhauen / Riderer 2010, p. 36), and in Elhomwe as cotton or ntuura / “ash” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
In Gbaya, in most cases an ideophone (term that expresses what is perceived by the five senses) is employed to depict strong intense whiteness (either ndáká-ndáká or kpúŋ-kpúŋ are used for the ideophones), sometimes in combination with “cotton.” Interestingly, for Rev. 1:14 where the color of the hair of the “Son of Man” is described, the use of cotton was questioned since it “would create the unpleasant image of an untidy person with disheveled hair or of a mourner with unkempt appearance.” It was eventually used, but only with a footnote that gives additional information by mentioning the French loan word neige for “snow.” In the two cases where the color white refers to the color of the skin of leprosy (Numbers 12:10 and 2 Kings 5:27), the image of hail is used in the first to describe the pale white of leprous skin, while the ideophone ndáká-ndáká is used for dramatic effect in the second. (Source: Philip Noss)
See also snow, frost, cotton, teeth are like a flock of ewes, many-colored robes / white, very white, and this devotion on YouVersion .
The Hebrew in Job 32:7 that is translated as “Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom” or similar in English is translated in Chichewa (interconfessional translation) with the existing idiom Munene ulamusiya kulubilo, kumaanu tomwiindi or “You may leave an elder behind in speed, but not in common sense.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 106)