The Greek that is typically translated in English as “sign” is translated in Huehuetla Tepehua as “thing to be marveled at” (source: Larson 1889, p. 279) and in Mairasi as “big work” (source: Enggavoter 2004).
preach
The Greek terms that are translated into English as “preach” or “proclaim” are regularly rendered into Aari as “speaking the word of salvation.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
Other languages (back-) translate it in the following manner:
- Mandarin Chinese: chuándào/傳道 or “hand down the Way [or: the Logos]”)
- Kekchí: “declare the word”
- Kpelle: “speak God’s word”
- Tzeltal: “he explains, they hear” (“the goal of all preachers”)
- Copainalá Zoque: “a preacher is ‘one who speaks-scatters'” (a figure based on the scattering of seed in the process of sowing) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Shilluk: “declare the word of of God” (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
- For Acts 9:20, 10:42: nakotnohora: “talk about” (“The generic term for preaching.”)
- For Acts 8:4, 8:5, 8:25: rodkiota-ralde’etnohora — “bring words, give news about.” (“This term is used when the preacher is moving from place to place to preach.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
salvation
The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated with “salvation” (or “deliverance”) in English is translated in the following ways:
- San Blas Kuna: “receive help for bad deeds” (“this help is not just any kind of help but help for the soul which has sinned)
- Northwestern Dinka: “help as to his soul” (“or literally, ‘his breath'”) (source for this and the one above: Nida 1952, p. 140)
- Central Mazahua: “healing the heart” (source: Nida 1952, p. 40)
- Tzeltal: col: “get loose,” “go free,” “get well” (source: Marianna C. Slocum in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 49f. )
- Aari: “the day our Savior comes” (in Rom 13:11) (source: Loren Bliese)
in Mairasi its is translated as “life fruit” or “life fruit all mashed out.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “In secret stories, not knowable to women nor children, there was a magical fruit of life. If referred to vaguely, without specifying the specific ‘fruit,’ it can be an expression for eternity.” And for “all masked out” he explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (See also eternity / forever)
In Lisu a poetic construct is used for this term. Arrington (2020, p. 58f.) explains: “A four-word couplet uses Lisu poetic forms to bridge the abstract concrete divide, an essential divide to cross if Christian theology is to be understood by those with oral thought patterns. Each couplet uses three concrete nouns or verbs to express an abstract term. An example of this is the word for salvation, a quite abstract term essential to understanding Christian theology. To coin this new word, the missionary translators used a four-word couplet: ℲO., CYU. W: CYU (person … save … person … save). In this particular case, the word for person was not the ordinary word (ʁ) but rather the combination of ℲO., and W: used in oral poetry. The word for ‘save’ also had to be coined; in this case, it was borrowed from Chinese [from jiù / 救]. These aspects of Lisu poetry, originally based on animism, likely would have been lost as Lisu society encountered communism and modernization. Yet they are now codified in the Lisu Bible as well as the hymnbook.”
In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) it is translated with chipulumutso which is used to refer to an act of helping someone who is in problems but cannot help him/herself come out of the problems because of weakness. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
See also save and save (Japanese honorifics) / salvation (of God) (Japanese honorifics).
eternity, forever, forever and ever
The Greek, Hebrew and Ge’ez that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)
In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)
In Makonde it is often translated as navyaka or “years and years.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
See also forever, eternal life and salvation.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Concepts of Eternity .
Mark 16:15 - 20 in Mexican Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 16:15-20 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)
Jesús les dijo: “Vayanse y prediquen y expliquen por todo el mundo que las personas que creen y son bautizados serán salvados. Pero si personas no creen, serán perdidos y castigados fuertemente.
Todas las personas que creen pueden en nombre de Jesús expulsar demonios, y también Dios puede darlos idiomas diferentes.
También pueden agarrar viboras y si beben veneno no morirán, no les pasará nada.
Ellos pueden imponer manos a personas enfermas y sanarlas. Todas estas 5 cosas son para la gente testigos de la verdad.”
Cuando el Señor Jesús terminó explicando todo esto se subió y se piró al cielo, donde Dios está sentado, y Jesús se sentó al lado derecha de él.
Todos los discípulos y otras personas se fueron y predicaban y explicaban por todo el mundo y Jesús les ayudaba con milagros, para testificar a las personas que la predicación era la verdad.
Jesus said to them: “Go and preach and explain throughout the world that the people who believe and are baptized will be saved. But if people do not believe they will be lost and be punished severely.
All the people who believe can in the name of Jesus drive out demons, and God can also give them different languages.
They can also pick up snakes and if they drink poison they will not die, nothing will happen to them.
They can lay hands on sick people and heal them. All these five things are witnesses to the people of the truth.”
When the Lord Jesus finished explaining all this, he went up and away to heaven, where God is seated, and Jesus seated himself on his right side.
All the disciples and other people went and preached and explained throughout the world, and Jesus helped them with miracles, as a witness to the people that their preaching was the truth.
Mark 16:9-20 in Russian Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 16:9-20 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:
Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество
Jesus rose from the dead, early Sunday morning. There was a woman, Mary Magdalene. Previously, she had seven demons, these demons were cast out by Jesus in the past. And so, having risen, Jesus first went out to meet this Mary Magdalene. She was amazed and happy, and quickly ran to the place where Jesus’ disciples were. The disciples were crying there and were very worried that Jesus had died. She ran up to them and cried out:
— I saw, Jesus is alive!
But the disciples did not believe her, and continued to be sad. Some time passed. Two disciples were walking along the road through the field. And suddenly they met Jesus. His body and appearance were different. These two disciples were very happy and hurried to where the other disciples were, and said to them:
— We saw! Yes, Jesus is alive!
But the other disciples again did not believe, they said:
— This cannot be!
Some more time passed. The eleven disciples were sitting at the table. They were eating. Suddenly Jesus appeared and said to them reproachfully:
— Why don’t you believe?! Your hearts are stubborn! Those who saw me alive, already resurrected, told you about it. Why didn’t you believe!?
— I tell you:
— Go into all the world and tell about me. Tell everyone! If a person believes in me and is baptized, then he will be saved, he will have eternal life. And whoever does not believe me, terrible punishment awaits him in the end.
— And I also tell you:
— For those who believe in me, I will grant them many miracles. First, those who believe in me will be able to cast out demons from people in my name. Second, they will be able to speak different languages. Third, if a poisonous snake bites a believer, then nothing will happen to this person, he will be alive and well. Fourthly, if someone wants to poison a believer with poison, gives him a drink, then nothing will happen to the believer, he will be alive and well. Fifthly, if there are sick people, then a believer will be able to lay his hands on them and thus heal the sick.
Jesus said all this, the disciples listened to it all. And after the end, Jesus ascended to heaven and sat at the right of God, his Father. The disciples began to go everywhere and tell everyone about Jesus. The Lord helped them, and sent them many miracles. Many people, seeing miracles, believed. And so it spread everywhere.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Иисус воскрес из мертвых, ранним утром в воскресенье. Была одна женщина, Мария Магдалина. Раньше в ней были семь бесов, этих бесов в прошлом изгнал Иисус. И вот, воскреснув, Иисус сначала вышел навстречу этой Марии Магдалине. Она была поражена и обрадована, и скорее побежала в то место, где были ученики Иисуса. Ученики там плакали и сильно переживали, что Иисус умер. Она подбежала к ним и воскликнула:
— Я видела, Иисус живой!
Но ученики ей не поверили, и продолжали печалиться. Прошло какое-то время. Два ученика шли по дороге по полю. И вдруг они повстречали Иисуса. Тело его и внешний вид были другими. Эти два ученика очень обрадовались и поспешили туда, где были остальные ученики, и сказали им:
— Мы видели! Да, Иисус живой!
Но остальные ученики опять не поверили, сказали:
— Не может такого быть!
Прошло еще какое-то время. Одиннадцать учеников сидели за столом. Они ели. Вдруг появился Иисус и сказал им укоризненно:
— Что же вы не верите?! Сердца у вас упрямые! Те, кто видел меня живым, уже воскресшим, рассказали вам об этом. Почему же вы не поверили!?
Я говорю вам:
— Идите по всему миру и рассказывайте обо мне. Всем людям расскажите! Если человек поверит в меня и совершит крещение, то он будет спасён, у него будет жизнь вечная. А кто не поверит меня, того ждет в конце страшное наказание.
И еще говорю вам:
— Тех, кто поверит в меня, я одарю их многими чудесами. Во-первых, поверившие в Меня смогут изгонять бесов из людей моим именем. Во-вторых, они смогут разговаривать на разных языках. В-третьих, если ядовитая змея укусит верующего человека, то ничего не случится с этим человеком, он будет жив здоров. В-четвертых, если кто-то захочет отравить верующего человека ядом, даст выпить, то ничего с верующим не случится, он будет жив и здоров. В-пятых, если больные будут, то верующий человек сможет положить на них руки и так исцелить больного.
Иисус это все говорил, ученики это все слушали. И после завершения Иисус вознесся на небо и сел справа от Бога, своего Отца. Ученики стали ходить повсюду и рассказывать везде об Иисусе. Господь помогал им, и посылал им множество чудес. Многие люди, видя чудеса, уверовали. И так это распространялось повсюду.
Back-translation by Luka Manevich
complete verse (Mark 16:20)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 16:20:
- Uma: “From there, his followers went to spread the Good News everywhere. The Lord worked together with them, and he gave them authority to do amazing signs in order to strengthen [i.e., confirm] the truth of the news they carried.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “So-then his disciples went to proclaim in all the places/countries. And they were given by the Lord power to do powerful deeds, in order that the people would know that their teaching was true.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then the disciples of the Lord Jesus traveled out, and they preached the good news everywhere, and the power of God helped them for they were able to do miracles so that people might believe what they were preaching.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Then his disciples went to preach the good news in all-the-various-towns. The Lord Jesus was helping them and confirming the truth of what they were preaching because-of/by-means-of the amazing signs that he was causing-them -to-do.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “The disciples truly did go all over, for they taught in every place. They were really being helped indeed by the Lord in that work. He was testifying to the word which the disciples were teaching through the means/ability to do amazing things, which he granted to them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
word / command (of God) (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, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kotoba (みことば) or “word (of God)” in the referenced verses.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.