The name that is transliterated as “Arphaxad” or “Arpachshad” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that suggests “expansion of people.” Arphaxad is the grandson of Noah and is known for being a pioneer in the expansion of people. (Source: Missão Kophós )
In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).
Norm Mundhenk tells this story:
“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”
In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “flood” in English is translated in the German Luther Bible as Sintflut and the influential Dutch Bibles Statenvertaling and Nieuwe Vertaling as zondvloed. Both terms originally mean “great / permanent flood” but have folk-etymologically been reinterpreted as “sin flood” (“sin” in Dutch is zonde and in German Sünde).
Today these terms are used in either language figuratively as well (“a lot of water” or “a lot”). (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Shem” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies “Arab,” referring to the fact that Shem traditionally is seen as the forefather of Semitic people, including Abraham and his descendants (see Genesis 11:26 et al.)(Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Note that the terms “Semite” and “Semitic” are derived from “Shem.”
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:10:
Newari: “Here is the list of the descendants of Shem — Two years after the flood came, when [he] was 100 years old, a son called Arphaxad was born to Shem.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This is the story about the family of Shem. Two years after the very severe flood, when Shem was-age-of 100 years, his son Arfaxad was-born.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “This is a bigger list/I will now tell you more of the descendants of Shem: Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arpachshad.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
After Shem’s report the Handbook will again follow the procedure used in chapter 5 of commenting only on information that departs from the fixed pattern and on some of the names.
These are the descendants of Shem serves as a title for this division of the text. These points ahead to the nine names that follow. Descendants translates the Hebrew toledoth, meaning “generations”; in this context it refers to the successive reports of the named fathers, and so descendants, “line of descendants,” “line of offspring” are appropriate. See discussion under “generation” at 5.1.
When Shem was a hundred years old: see discussion of this expression in 5.3.
He became the father of: see discussion in 4.18 and 5.3.
For Arpachshad see 10.22. There Arpachshad is the third of Shem’s five sons. Now, however, Arpachshad is selected because it is from his line that Abraham will come.
Two years after the flood means two years after the end of the flood, that is, two years after the flood dried up. Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew structure, but in some languages this phrase may have to be moved forward. See Good News Translation.
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.