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 Translator2002, 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 his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.
In Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). His disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )
In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.
Inga uses the word Amalai (“Oh that it were . . .!”) to express a contrafactual wish. It is used in Mark 13:36: “Oh that it were that they’re not asleep!” (Source: S. Levinsohn in Journal of Translation 18/2022, p. 67ff. )
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
Jesús dijo: “Cuando ven un árbol brotando hojas verdes las personas que lo ven saben que el próximo día será caloroso, esto es parecido a las cinco puntos que les conté ahorita.
Cuando en el futuro las personas vean estas cinco cosas sabrán por cierto que el Hijo de Hombre está por venir.
Les advierto: Estas personas todavía no habrán muerto pero aún estarán vivos cuando lo vean con sus propios ojos. En el futuro el cielo y la tierra desaparecerán, pero mis palabras jamás desaparecen.
Les advierto: Todas las personas no saben cuando será el día o a qué hora venga, en la misma manera los ángeles y el Hijo de Hombre, todos no saben.
El único que sabe es el Padre Dios. Uds presten atención y vigilen para cuando venga, porque no lo saben.
Por ejemplo: Un hombre es dueño de una casa, y llama a todos sus siervos a que vengan y dice: “Yo me voy de viaje, uds trabajen, tú eres encargado de vigilar la puerta” y el hombre se va.
Ellos deben vigilar para cuando venga el dueño, no saben a qué hora si será en la mañana, tarde, noche o madrugada. Si ellos duermen de repente vendrá el dueño y los verá durmiendo ¿cómo sería eso?
Yo les advierto: En la misma manera todas las personas deben prestar atención y vigilar.”
Jesus said: “When you see a tree that sprouts forth green leaves, the people who see it know that the next day will be hot, it is similar with the five things I told you just now.
“When in the future the people will see these five things they will know for sure that the Son of Man is about to come down.
“I warn you: These people will not have died yet, but will still be alive when they see it with their own eyes. In the future the heaven and the earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
“I warn you: All the people do not know the day or the hour that he comes, in the same way the angels and the Son of Man all do not know.
“The only one who knows is God the Father. You must pay attention and keep watch for when he comes, because you don’t know.
“For example: A man is owner of a house and he calls all the servants to come and says: ‘I am going on a journey, you all need to work, I entrust you (one particular person) with keeping watch over the door,’ and the man goes off.
“They must keep watch for when the owner comes, they do not know at which house, morning, afternoon, evening or before sunrise. If they fall asleep the owner will suddenly come and see them sleeping, how would that be?
“I warn you: In the same way all the people need to pay attention and keep watch.”
— No one knows when this terrible time of suffering will begin, of which I have spoken to you. Neither the angels in heaven know, nor even I, only God knows. But you be careful — watch and pray!
For example, a man, a master, left his house and property, went far away, and ordered his servants to manage the house, guard it and not sleep. In the same way, we are awake. We do not know when the master will return — in the evening? At night? In the morning at dawn? We do not know this. And if the watchman falls asleep, and at that very time the master returns and finds the servant sleeping? What will happen then? Therefore, I am telling you now: one thing is important, that you be awake in your heart.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Никто не знает, когда начнется это страшное время страданий, о котором я говорил вам. Ни ангелы на небе не знают, ни даже я — не знаю, один только Бог знает. Вы же будьте внимательны — бодрствуйте и молитесь!
Вот, например, одни человек, хозяин, оставил свой дом и имущество, уехал далеко, а слугам своим поручил управлять домом, сторожить его и не спать. Так же мы — бодрствуем. Мы не знаем, когда вернется хозяин — Вечером? Ночью? Утром на рассвете? Мы не знаем этого. А если сторож заснет, а как раз в это время хозяин вернется и застанет слугу спящим? Что тогда будет? Поэтому я сейчас вам говорю: важно одно, чтобы вы в сердце своем бодрствовали.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:36:
Uma: “So, they indeed had to be on the watch, for they didn’t know when the house owner would come, whether at evening or in the middle of the night or early morning or when the sun rises. It wouldn’t be good if [lit., Don’t-don’t] he arrived suddenly and found them asleep. So also you must be on the watch, for you don’t know when I will arrive.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For perhaps he will suddenly arrive and find you sleeping.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is necessary that I do not come upon you sleeping when I suddenly return.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “In case my coming is sudden/unexpected, it would be good if I don’t come-upon you sleeping.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For maybe I will come suddenly, and on my arrival you won’t be ready like a guard who is asleep.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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 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).
mē elthōn … heurē ‘lest coming … he should find,’ ‘lest he come … and find.’
exaiphnēs (only here in Mark) is an adverb ‘suddenly,’ ‘unexpectedly.’
katheudontas (cf. 4.27) ‘sleeping,’ ‘asleep.’
Translation:
For the syntactic connections of this verse to the preceding, see under 13.35.
He must refer to the owner of the house.
Suddenly is interestingly translated ‘as lightening’ in Piro.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping: In the Greek text, the sentence that begins in 13:35a continues in 13:36. The Greek is literally “Keep watch…so that, if he comes suddenly, he will not find you sleeping.”
In some languages it may be necessary to repeat the verb “keep watch” at the beginning of 13:36. For example:
Keep watch, (plur)therefore so that, if he comes suddenly, he does not find you sleeping.
13:36a
he may arrive without notice: In this context the Greek word translated as arrive without notice means “unexpectedly.” Jesus will not send a message to tell anyone the exact time that he will return.
The New Living Translation expresses this meaning as:
when he arrives without warning
If you said in 13:35b “I, the master of the house,” then you should continue to use “I” in this verse, as well.
13:36b
and find you sleeping: A master who saw his doorkeeper sleeping would be angry and punish him. The doorkeeper was supposed to guard the entry to the house. That was his responsibility.
sleeping: The word sleeping is part of the extended metaphor here. Jesus was talking about people who are not ready or not prepared to do what is needed. Such people are like those who are sleeping, because sleeping people are not ready for action. Find out if listeners/readers will understand what the word sleeping indicates here. If necessary, you could translate the meaning of sleeping. For example:
do not let him find you unprepared like someone sleeping -or-
do not let him/me find you unprepared/unready for him/me
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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