complete verse (Deuteronomy 14:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 14:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “But concerning all the animals that are in the water, you may eat all that have things like wings that it beats the water with and (have) scales.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As many of the animals that live in the water and have fins and scales are OK for you to eat.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘You (plur.) can eat any animal who lives in the water that has fins and scales.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You are permitted to eat any fish that has scales and fins.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 14:9 - 14:10

Of the animals that live in the water, only those that have fins and scales are considered clean, that is, can be eaten; all others are unclean and cannot be eaten.

These two verses may be introduced by the statement “These are the sea creatures that you are allowed to eat:….”

Fins and scales: since fish are known in almost every culture in the world, most languages will have suitable terms for these words. However, in the case of a culture where fish are unknown, it will be helpful to borrow terms from some other language and add a footnote or glossary item explaining these words.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .