The term that is transliterated as “Goliath” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a finger pointing to the forehead (a reference to where the stone hit him) followed by the sign for “tall” referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 1 Samuel 17:4. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Goliath” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 2:19:
Kupsabiny: “As his parents were going to burn the sacrifices, they brought to that boy the robe which his mother had made.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Every year his mother would sew a robe for him, and when [she] would go with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice, [she] would bring it along for Samuel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Every year Hana would-make Samuel an outer garment, and she would-bring this to him when she went together-with her husband to-offer to the LORD, which they do every year.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Each year his mother made a new little robe for him and took it to him when she went up to Shiloh with her husband to offer a sacrifice.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, motteitte (持って行って) or “bring” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, itte (行って) or “go” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”
Each year: literally “from days to day” (see the comment on this same expression in 1.3). In many languages it will be wise to shift this expression to the beginning of the sentence so that it clearly qualifies both Hannah’s making of the robe and her taking it to her son in Shiloh. Habitual verb forms should be used in languages that have them, since this activity was repeated year after year.
On the verb went up see the comments at 1.3.
The yearly sacrifice: the Hebrew does not state in this verse where Hannah and Elkanah went each year to offer the sacrifice, but this information may be made explicit, since it is given in 1.3. Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente: “when she went to Shiloh with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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