notice (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

In this verse, the Hebrew that is translated as “notice” or similar in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-ki-zuki (お気づき), combining “notice” (ki-zuki) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

complete verse (Acts 26:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 26:26:

  • Uma: “As for King Agripa, he also knows all that I said earlier. That is why I dared to speak plainly. For I said/thought, that there was nothing that the King had not-yet known, because all of that which happened did not happen in a hidden-place.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The king understands these my words,’ Paul said. ‘The reason I have dared to speak to him is, because I am sure that he knows everything that has happened. After all, all these doings were really not hidden/secret.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You, King Agrippa, I am not hesitant to talk to you because I know that you already know all that I have said to you. It is true that you know these because all these things that happened were not hidden.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I also know that King Agrippa has already come-to-know all these-things, because they certainly haven’t been kept-hidden. So I know that I can say-directly this that I will say to him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “All of this is really clear to king Agripa. I am sure that he has kept abreast of (lit. not allowed to be lost to him) these things, for it wasn’t in concealment. That’s why I don’t hesitate to speak in his presence.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

king

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:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

king (Japanese honorifics)

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 to do this is through the usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also King.

know (Japanese honorifics)

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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God or a person or persons to be greatly honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) can be used, as in go-zonji (ご存じ), a combination of “know” (zonji) and the honorific prefix go-.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

respectful form of "say/speak" (mōshiageru)

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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mōshiageru (申し上げる), the respectful form of iu (言う) or “say / speak” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Acts 26:26

This verse has been completely restructured in the Good News Translation. For a rather literal rendering of the Greek see Revised Standard Version.

With all boldness, in this type of context, is sometimes rendered as “without holding back anything” or “with complete openness.”

In a corner is a good Greek expression, and not a Semitism. In many languages one cannot refer to an event by an expression such as this thing. Therefore, one may say “what has happened did not take place in a corner.” However, the phrase in a corner may be relatively meaningless in some languages. The closest equivalent would therefore be “in some dark place” or “in some unknown place”—for example, “what happened did not take place in an unknown location.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 26:26

26:26a

For: Here at 26:26a in the Greek, Paul continued to speak to Festus here. The Greek conjunction, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as For, introduces this verse. It introduces an explanation why Paul spoke as he had in 26:2–23 and why he was not insane. In some languages it may be more natural to omit the Greek conjunction.

knows about: This phrase refers to knowing about something. Agrippa was a descendant of King Herod. He lived in Rome and was only a few years old when Jesus died. Later the Roman emperor made him king of a small kingdom north of Judea and he began to live there. The Roman emperor also made him the political ruler over the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. So Paul spoke to him as if he knew about what had happened to Jesus and his followers.

these matters: Here this phrase refers to the life and death of Jesus, as well as the claims of his followers that he was the Christ. In some languages a literal translation here would wrongly refer only to the deeds of Paul. If so, you may want to explain it in your translation. For example:

these things ⌊regarding the Christ
-or-
these events ⌊about the Christ
-or-
these controversies

26:26b

I can speak freely to him: King Agrippa supported the Jews. He probably knew about the Jewish culture and religion. Paul expected that he would not have to explain his words like he would with Festus the Roman. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I can speak so plainly to him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I speak to him also with confidence (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
to him I speak boldly (English Standard Version)

26:26c

I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner: The conjunction because introduces a reason. In some languages, it is more natural to have the reason first. For example:

none of this was done in a corner, so I am convinced that it has not escaped his notice

none of this has escaped his notice: This clause emphasizes that King Agrippa knew about the controversy among Jews about Jesus being the Christ. Other ways to translate this clause are:

these events are all familiar to him (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
nothing of all this comes as a surprise to him (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
he has heard about all of these things (New Century Version)

it was not done in a corner: This is an idiom. It indicates that something was well known. The life and death of Jesus did not occur in a small village far away. Jesus did his miracles in several regions and his death occurred in the capitol city of the Jews. News of his life and death spread to many regions. Other ways to translate this idiom are:

Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

This indicates that the life and death of Jesus was well known.

Explain the idiom in your translation. For example:

it was not done in an ⌊obscure⌋ corner/part ⌊of the country/world⌋ ⌊where no news comes from

Translate using an idiom in your language with the same meaning. For example:

it did not occur in a cave

You may then want to indicate the literal words here in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally “it was not done in a corner.”

Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

it was not an obscure event
-or-
it was well known

You may then want to indicate the literal words here in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally “it was not done in a corner.”

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