The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Saul” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign that depicts “sword in chest” (referring to 1 Samuel 31:4 and 1 Chronicles 10:4) and also “self-centered.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 28:13:
Kupsabiny: “Then the king told that woman that, ‘Don’t be afraid! What have you seen?’ That sorcerer said that, ‘I am seeing a spirit coming up from the place of the dead.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The king said to her, "Don’t be afraid. What have you seen?" That woman replied, "I have seen a spirit coming out from the ground."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Saul said to her, ‘[You (sing.)] do- not -be-afraid. What do- you (sing.) -see?’ The woman replied, ‘I saw a ghost/spirit coming-out from the ground.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Saul said to her, ‘Do not be afraid. What do you see?’ The woman said, ‘I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
There is such a difference between the two utterances of Saul to the woman that some translators may feel the need for some kind of transition word or phrase between them. Contemporary English Version adds the word “Just [tell me],” while both Bible en français courant and La Bible du Semeur add “rather,” that is, “Don’t be afraid, rather tell me what you see.”
A god: this Hebrew word may also be rendered “gods.” Other translations include “a divine being” (New Revised Standard Version), “a ghostly form” (Revised English Bible), “a ghost” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “a supernatural being” (La Bible du Semeur). Like Good News Translation, a number of English versions have “spirit” (New International Version, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version). Compare Isa 8.19.
Up out of the earth: like all who die, Samuel was thought to be in the underworld, in a place called “Sheol.”
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 .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.