test, trap

The term that is translated as “test” or “trap” in English is rendered in Santa Cruz (Natügu) with the phrase “catch him in a net.” (Source: David Clark)

In Noongar it is translated with a derivative of “fish trap” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translate idiomatically as einen Strick drehen or “give him enough rope so he will hang himself.”

See also trap him by what he said / catch him in some statement.

hypocrisy

The term that is translated as “hypocrisy” in English versions is translated with a term in Oxchuc Tzeltal that means “two hearts,” in Central Pame “two mouths” (source: Nida 1952, p. 150), and in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec “having two heads” (source: Nida 1947, p. 150).

Kituba uses a specialized idiom for “hypocrisy”: “eye under leaf” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel) and in the Mandarin Chinese Union Version the four-character phrase jiǎmào wéi shàn (假冒为善 / 假冒為善), lit. “impersonate for good” is used (source: Zetzsche).

See also hypocrite.

Mark 12:13 - 17 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 12:13-17 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Después los líderes elegieron algunos de los fariseos y elegieron otros de las personas que siempre defendían el Rey Herodes y los entregaron (la tarea): “vayanse y engañen a Jesús, quizás Jesús hace un error y lo podemos engañar.”

Fueron y dijeron: “Maestro sabemos que tú hablas la verdad y eres honrado, to ves a todas las personas en igual manera, tú jamás buscas favor, jamás eres tímido, tú verdaderamente enseñas la palabra de Dios.

Una pregunta: ¿Permite Dios que paguemos impuestos al emperador Cesar? ¿Debemos pagar? Dinos.

Jesús por adentro sabía que eran hipócritas y dijo”: “¿Porqué me engañan? Por favor, pido un moneda de plata, lo quiero ver.”

Una persona fue y agarró (una moneda) y se la dio. Jesús tomó la moneda (y dijo): “¿Qué significa el nombre y la cara?” Las personas (dijeron): “Son de César.”

Jesús (dijo): “Son de Cesar, bien, si él se lo pide, deben pagar.

El mismo con Dios, si él les pide algo deben obedecer a Dios.”

Las personas todas lo vieron: ¡huy! admirable, y pensaron ‘¡caray!’


Afterwards the leaders chose some from among the Pharisees and some others from the people who always supported King Herod and they handed (the task) over to them: “go and deceive Jesus, maybe Jesus will make an error and then we can denounce him.”

They went and said: “Teacher, we know that you speak the truth and you are honorable, you consider all people the same, you never seek favor and are never timid, you really teach the Word of God.

“A question: Does God allow us to pay tax to the emperor Caesar? Should we pay? Tell us.”

Jesus knew inside that they were hypocrites and he said: “Why do you deceive me? Please, I ask for a silver coin, I want to see it.”

A person went and took (a coin) and gave it to him. Jesus took the coin (and said): “What do the name and face mean?” The people (said): “They are Caesar’s.”

Jesus (said): “They are Caesar’s, right, if he asks for it you must pay it.

“The same with God, if he asks you something you must obey God.”

The people all saw it: wow, wonderful! and they thought ‘awesome!’

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 12:1-12 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 12:18-27 in Mexican Sign Language >>

Mark 12:13-17 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 12:13-17 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

After some time, the rulers chose some people from the Pharisees and some people from among those who were supporters of King Herod. They all agreed that they would go to Jesus and ask him a tricky question in order to catch Jesus in a mistake. They came to Jesus and began to say to him:

— Teacher, we know that you are honest! You do not pander to people, to your superiors. What God requires of you, you teach. We want to ask you. The Roman Emperor requires us to pay taxes. But we serve God and bring gifts to him, don’t we? Do we still need to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor?!

Jesus realized that they were wicked and said to them:

— Why are you trying to catch me? Give me a coin.

They gave him a coin. The coin had a picture of the Roman emperor and his name written on it.

Jesus asked: Who is depicted on the coin? Whose name is written?

They answer him: The Roman Emperor.

Jesus said: Then give to the Roman emperor what he requires of you. And what God requires of you, give to God.

And they were very surprised by his answer.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Спустя какое-то время начальники выбрали несколько человек из фарисеев и несколько человек из тех людей, которые были сторонниками царя Ирода. Все они стали сговариваться, что пойдут к Иисусу и зададут ему каверзный вопрос, чтобы поймать Иисуса на ошибке. Они подошли к Иисусу и стали говорить ему:

— Учитель, мы знаем, что ты честный! У тебя нет подхалимства к людям, к начальству. То, что Бог требует от тебя, именно этому ты учишь. Мы хотим спросить тебя. Вот римский император требует с нас налоги платить. Но мы ведь служим Богу и приносим дары ему? Разве нам ещё нужно платить налоги римскому императору?!

Иисус понял, что они лукавые и сказал им:

— Зачем вы пытаетесь меня уловить? Дайте мне монету.

Ему дали монету. На монете был изображен римский император и написано его имя.

Иисус спросил: Кто изображен на монете? Чье имя написано?

Ему отвечают: Римский император

Иисус сказал: Тогда дайте римскому императору, что он требует от вас. А то, что Бог требует с вас, давайте Богу.

И они очень удивились его ответу.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 12:1-12 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 12:18-27 in Russian Sign Language >>

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Mark 12:15)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including Jesus).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

The Yagua translators chose the exclusive form, and justify this by saying “would the Jews include Jesus in this ‘we,’ or put Him in the position of arbiter or outside judge and exclude Him? We judge from the Jews’ preamble and from the manner of Jesus’ answer that the choice should be exclusive.”

Source: Paul Powlison in Notes on Translation with Drills, p. 165ff.

complete verse (Mark 12:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 12:15:

  • Uma: “Yesus knew the hidden purpose of their heart. That’s why he said to them: ‘Why do you search for a slip-up in my words? Bring here the money you usually use to pay the tax, I want to see it.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But Isa knew their deceit. He said to them, ‘Why are you testing me? Bring a coin (lit. hard money) here so that I can look at it.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus knew that they were intending to trap him and so he said, ‘Why are you testing me? Show me what the money looks like with which you pay the tax to the king of Rome.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But Jesus knew they were tricking him, so then he said to them, ‘Why are you testing me? Please bring-me a money so I will look-at-it.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But Jesus knew the motive in their mind. That’s why he said to them, ‘Why are you putting a noose around my neck(fig.)? Bring me that money to look at.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing religious leaders

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing religious leaders with the formal pronoun, showing respect. Compare that with the typical address with the informal pronoun of the religious leaders.

The only two exceptions to this are Luke 7:40/43 and 10:26 where Jesus uses the informal pronoun as a response to the sycophantic use of the formal pronoun by the religious leaders (see formal pronoun: religious leaders addressing Jesus).

In most Dutch translations, the same distinctions are made, with the exception of Luke 10:26 where Jesus is using the formal pronoun. In Afrikaans and Western Frisian the informal pronoun is used throughout.