The Old Testament quote from Joel in Acts 2:17-21 is amended by what is translated in English as “In the last days, God declares.” Many translations don’t show this as an addition by Peter or Luke to the original quote but the SwedishBibel 2000 manages to distinguish the different sources by a differentiation in italics vs. regular script: Det skall ske i de sista dagarna, säger Gud, att jag utgjuter min ande över alla människor. (…)” (Source: Christer Åsberg in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 71ff. )
The Hebrew and the Greek that are translated in English versions as “prophesy” are translated into Anuak as “sing a song” (source: Loren Bliese), into Balanta-Kentohe as “passing on message of God” (source: Rob Koops), and into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that does not only refer to the future, but is “speak on behalf of God” (source: Robert Bascom).
Other translations include: “God making someone to show something in advance” (Ojitlán Chinantec), “God causing someone to think and then say it” (Aguaruna), “speaking God’s thoughts” (Shipibo-Conibo), “God made someone say something” “Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac) (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125), “proclaim God’s message” (Teutila Cuicatec), “speak for God” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), “preach the Word of God” (Lalana Chinantec), “speak God’s words” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “that which God’s Spirit will cause one to say one will say” (Mayo) (source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “say what God wants people to hear” (tell people God wod dat e gii oona fa say) (Gullah) (source: Robert Bascom), and “bring God’s mouth” (Bariai) (source: Bariai Back Translation).
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
For Acts 3:18, 3:21, 3:25: nurwowohora — “mouth says words that don’t come from one’s own mind.” (“This term refers to an individual’s speaking words that are not his because either a good or bad spirit is at work through him. The speaker is not in control of himself.”)
For Acts 19:6, Acts 21:9: nakotnohora — “talk about.” (“The focus of this term is on telling God’s message for the present as opposed to the future.”)
For Acts 21:11: rora — “foretell” (“The focus of this term is giving God’s message concerning the future. The person who speaks is aware of what he is doing and he is using his own mind, yet it is with God’s power that he foretells the future.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”
The name that is transliterated as “Ptolemais” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that indicates a wall around the city and the sign for “warrior” (in the middle ages it was home to a militant Latin Christian order). (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:17:
Uma: “God said: ‘At the [time of] the end of the world, I give my Spirit to all mankind. Your male children and your female children will utter mywords. Your young-men will see visions that I show to them. Your old people will dream what I cause them to dream.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘This is what I will do in the last/later day,’ God said. ‘I will send my Spirit to all humans. And your descendants male-and-female will proclaim/spread/speak my word/message. Your young men I will cause to have visions and your old men I will cause dreams to them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘The Lord said, ‘In the future at the last time, you, all of mankind, I will cause the Holy Spirit to dwell among you, and then your sons will be inspired and your daughters, and they will cause people to understand my word. There will be young people whom I will open their seeing so that they can see things other people cannot see, and there will be older people that I will cause to dream.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘This is what God says. What I will do in the later days is, I will send my Spirit to enter all people. Your children will tell what I have-them -speak, the young-men, there will be things-I-will-show to them like dreams, and the old men, there will also be that-which-I-cause-them -to-dream.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘God says, ‘In the final time, before the end of the world comes, I will grace/help all people, that they will be able to be indwelled by my Espiritu Santo. Then by his inspiring them, your (pl.) children, female and male, will speak what I am causing to be known by people. There is what I will put in the minds of your youth like they are dreaming it, only they are awake. And your older-people, there is what I will put in their minds which they will dream when asleep.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joel 2:28:
Kupsabiny: “God says, ‘Later I shall anoint all people with my Spirit. Then your daughters and your sons shall prophecy and your elders/old people shall get dreams. Your young people shall see revelations/visions.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “‘At a later time, I will pour out my Spirit on all of people. Then your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “And some-time-later I will-give my Spirit/[Espiritu] to all kinds of people. Your (plur.) male and female children will-tell/proclaim my words/messages. Your (plur.) old males I will-cause-to-dream. Your (plur.) young males will-be-able-to-see visions.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘When that is finished, I will send my Spirit (Ispirito) so-that he will enter even any person. Your children, they will tell what I cause- them -to-tell, the young-men, there-will-be what I show them that are like dreams and the old-men, there-will- also -be what I cause- them -to-dream.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.