The Greek that is translated as “carried by four of them” in English had to be translated as “four men carried him slung between two poles in a hammock” in Agusan Manobo. The method of carrying had to be made specific.
paralytic
The Greek that is translated as “paralytic” in English is translated by the Panjabi translation in Persian script with the common expression “one struck by paralysis.” (Source; Yousaf Sadiq in The Bible Translator 2021, p. 189ff.)
As the word about him spread people brought friends to him because they knew he cared (image)
“Successful Thai gatherings are always crowded. Four people carrying a wooden bed is a symbol of death to Thai people. Here Jesus symbolizes resurrection by raising the man from the sick bed back to health in body and soul.”
Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.
For more images by Sawai Chinnawong in TIPs see here.
Mark 2:1-12 in Russian Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 2:1-12 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:
Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество
A few days passed. There was a house in the town of Capernaum. Jesus came there. A rumor went around among the people that Jesus was there. Many, many people began to come to the house. The house was full, it was very crowded, there was no room, even outside. Everyone wanted to hear Jesus. And Jesus preached to them.
There was one man there, a sick man. He was paralyzed, his body was not moving. He was lying down and four men were carrying him on a stretcher. They wanted to help him, to bring him to Jesus so that Jesus could heal him. And so they carried the sick man. There was a crowd of people around. Those men tried to push the crowd apart, but it was very crowded. There was no way through. They began to think what to do. They saw that the roof of the house was flat, and there was a ladder attached to the house, which led directly to the roof. And they decided: let’s climb up! All four of them climbed up to the roof. They took a thick stick and began to break a hole in the roof. The roof was flat, made of clay and reeds. And so they made a hole in the roof and pulled apart the clay and reeds. It was a big round hole. They looked down and there was Jesus preaching. They got excited. Jesus looked up at them from below and smiled.
— “I know you have faith in me!
And the four men used ropes to pull the stretcher with the sick man up onto the roof, and then carefully lowered him down into the hole below. Jesus watched the stretcher being lowered, and when it came down in front of him, he said:
— My son, your sins are forgiven!
And in the midst of the crowd sat several teachers of the law. They shuddered with indignation, and began to talk and point at Jesus:
— How dare Jesus say, “Your sins are forgiven”! God alone can forgive sins! And Jesus says such things! He is insulting God.
They were very indignant.
Jesus realized what they were thinking and said:
— Enough! Why are you slandering me? I am asking you a question. There are two things: which one is easier?
First I say to him, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The second thing: Here is a paralyzed man lying down. I say to him, “Get up, roll up your mat, and go home!”
Which of these two things is easier? The first thing is easier. It’s easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven.”
And so you see I’m here on earth right now. I have the power to forgive the sins of people who sin and do evil deeds. So here I am saying to this paralyzed man, “Get up, roll up your mat and get on your feet.”
The crowd around was amazed. Look, look — everyone said — we know this man could not walk, but he stood up. We have never seen such a miracle before! Everyone was amazed and glorified God.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Прошло несколько дней. В городе Капернаум был один дом. Туда пришел Иисус. Между людьми повсюду пошел слух, что там Иисус. И многие-многие люди стали приходить в этот дом. Дом переполнился, было очень тесно, места не было даже снаружи. Все хотели послушать Иисуса. И Иисус им проповедовал.
Там был один человек, больной. Он был парализован, его тело не двигалось. Он лежал, а четыре человека несли его на носилках. Они хотели помочь ему, поднести его к Иисусу, чтобы Иисус исцелил его. И вот они несут больного. Кругом толпа народа. Те люди пытались раздвинуть толпу, но было очень тесно. Нет пути. Они стали думать, что делать. Видят они: у дома крыша плоская, а к дому приставлена лестница, которая ведет прямо на крышу. И решили: давайте заберемся! Все вчетвером забрались на крышу. Взяли толстую палку и стали пробивать дыру в крыше. Крыша была плоская, была она сделана из глины и тростника. И вот они делают дыру в крыше, раздвигают глину и тростник. Получилась большая круглая дыра. Смотрят вниз, а там Иисус проповедует. Они обрадовались. Иисус снизу на них посмотрел, улыбнулся.
Иисус говорит:
— Я знаю, у вас есть вера в Меня!
А эти четыре человека на веревках подтянули носилки с больным на крышу, а потом аккуратно опустили в дыру вниз. Иисус смотрел, как носилки опускаются, и когда они перед ним опустились, он сказал:
— Сын мой! Твои грехи тебе прощаются!
А среди толпы сидели несколько учителей закона. Они даже вздрогнули от возмущения и стали недовольно переговариваться, показывая на Иисуса:
— Да как же Иисус смеет говорить «твои грехи прощены»! Только один Бог может прощать грехи! А Иисус такое говорит! Он оскорбляет Бога.
Они были очень возмущены.
Иисус понял, о чем они думают, и сказал:
— Довольно! Зачем на меня клевещете? Я вам задаю вопрос. Есть две вещи: какая из них проще?
Первая вещь. Я ему говорю: «Твои грехи прощены».
Вторая вещь. Вот парализованный человек лежит. Я ему говорю: «Вставай, сверни свой коврик и ступай домой!»
Что из этих двух вещей проще? Первая вещь проще. Проще сказать: «Твои грехи прощены».
И вот вы видите, что я сейчас здесь, на земле. Я имею власть прощать грехи людей, которые грешат и совершают злые дела. Вот я говорю этому парализованному человеку: «Вставай, скатай свой коврик и ступай».
И о чудо! Этот человек поднялся, тело его сделалось здоровым. С восторгом он смотрит на свои руки и ноги. Он скатал свой коврик, взял его под мышку и радостный пошел.
Толпа вокруг была изумлена. Смотрите, смотрите — говорили все — мы знаем, этот человек не мог ходить, а он встал. Мы такого чуда никогда раньше не видели! Все изумлялись и прославляли Бога.
Back-translation by Luka Manevich
<< Mark 1:40-45 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 2:13-17 in Russian Sign Language >>
Mark 2:1-12 in Mexican Sign Language
Following is the translation of Mark 2:1-12 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)
Unos días después en el mismo pueblo de Capernaúm Jesús otra vez fue a una casa.
La gente lo vio y dijo: “Jesús está en la casa allá, vengan”, y la todos fueron a la casa y entraron y estaba llena de gente, y afuera de la puerta todas las personas estaban intentando a ver a Jesús que estaba predicando.
Afuera había un hombre que no podía caminar, su cuerpo era paralizado y estaba acostado. 4 Personas fueron a ayudarlo y llevaron su camilla, pero vieron que estaba lleno de gente y no podían entrar, ¿cómo?
Vieron: “la azotea, bien, vengan”, y los 4 subieron cargando la camilla, y arriba pusieron la camilla en el piso y empezaron a quitar la techumbre.
Jesús estaba predicando y miró hacia arriba y vio que estaban quitando la techumbre.
Los hombres estaban quitando la techumbre, y cuando estaba todo bien, levantaron la camilla y la bajaron con cuerda, y la camilla con el hombre estaba bajando.
Jesús miró hacia arriba y pensó: huy, ellos tienen fe, y cuando la camilla había bajado dijo: “tus pecados son perdonados.”
Los maestros de la ley que estaban sentados lo vieron y pensaron: absurdo, Jesús habla mal, él es irrespetuoso contra Dios, ¿cómo puede ser?
Sólo Dios puede perdonar a las personas, y puede borrar pecados, ¿qué piensa él?
Pero Jesús lo sintió adentro y lo sabía y volvió a verlos diciendo: “Maestros de la ley, ¿porqué piensan e imaginanse que yo hizo algo mal?
Alto, yo les pregunto ¿cúal sería más fácil, decirle: ‘tus pecados ya son perdonados’ o decirle: ‘levantate, arregla tu camilla, guardala y vete’? ¿Cuál piensan uds?
Oigan, aqui en el mundo hay uno, el hijo del hombre, que tiene autoridad y que puede perdonar los pecados a la gente.
Uds me ven y son testigos (y dijo al hombre): levantate, arregla tu camilla y guardalo y vete a tu casa.”
El hombre acostado notó que todo su cuerpo se había sanado y se paró, arregló su camilla, lo guardó y se fue caminando.
Todas las personas lo vieron (y dijeron): “Esto jamás habíamos visto, hoy lo vemos por primera vez, huy, ¡qué maravilloso es Dios!”
Some days later in the same village of Capernaum Jesus went to a house again.
The people saw him and said: “There is Jesus, over there in the house, come” and the multitude went to the house and entered it and it was full of people, and outside the door all those people were trying to see as Jesus preached.
Outside there was a man who could not walk, his body was paralyzed and he was lying down. Four persons came to help him, they carried his stretcher over, but then they saw that it was full of people and they could not go in, how?
They saw: “Oh good, the roof, come” and the four of them went up carrying the stretcher and upstairs they put down the stretcher and started to take away the roofing.
Jesus was preaching and he looked up and saw them take away the roofing.
The men were taking out the roofing and when all was ready they took the stretcher and lowered it with a rope and the stretcher with the man went down.
Jesus looked up and thought: wow, they have faith, and when the stretcher had been lowered he said: “Your sins have been forgiven.”
The teachers of the law that were sitting there saw this and they thought: this is ridiculous, Jesus speaks badly, without respect, against God, how can he do that?
Only God can forgive people their sins, what is he thinking?
But Jesus felt this and knew it, and he turned to them and said: “Teachers of the law, why do you think and imagine that I did something bad?
“Now stop, let me ask you which you think is easier, to tell him: ‘your sins have already been forgiven’ or to tell him: get up, arrange your stretcher, put it under your am and go’? Which one do you think?
“Listen, here in the world there is one person, the son of man, who has authority and can forgive people their sins.
“You see me and are witnesses (and he said to the man): get up, arrange your stretcher, put it under your arm and go home.”
The man who was lying down felt that his whole body had healed and he got up, arranged his stretcher, took it under his arm and walked out.
All the people saw it (and said): “Who have never seen this before, today is the first time we have seen it, wow, God is wonderful!”
Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios
<< Mark 1:40-45 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 2:13-17 in Mexican Sign Language >>
complete verse (Mark 2:3)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:3:
- Uma: “While he was speaking, four people carrying their lame friend came.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “So-then a sick person was brought to him carried-on-a-stretcher by four people. That sick person was paralyzed (lit. dead his body).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and then some people arrived carrying a person whose body is paralyzed. He is being carried by four men.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “some arrived who were bringing a cripple. Four men were carrying-him -at-either-end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Just as he was teaching, four people arrived bringing a person who was paralyzed (lit. had a dead part of his body).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
location (of God) (Japanese honorifics)
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-moto (みもと) referring to the location (of God) in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
pronoun for "God"
God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).
Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.
In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.
While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal ta (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential ta (祂) is used.”
In Kouya, Godié, Northern Grebo, Eastern Krahn, Western Krahn, and Guiberoua Béte, all languages of the Kru family in Western Africa, a different kind of systems of pronouns is used (click or tap here to read more):
In that system one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and one for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.
Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains in the following way: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”
In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)
Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”
In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )
In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)
The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.
Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are the closely related Indonesian and Malay. In both languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).
See also first person pronoun referring to God.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Gender of God .
Translation: Chinese
在现代汉语中,第三人称单数代词的读音都是一样的(tā),但是写法并不一样,取决于性别以及是否有生命,即男性为“他”,女性为“她”,动物、植物和无生命事物为“它”(在香港和台湾的汉语使用,动物则为“牠”)。这些字的部首偏旁表明了性别(男人、女人、动物、无生命事物),而另一偏旁通常旁提示发音。
到1930年为止,基督教新教《圣经》经过整整一百年的翻译已经拥有了十几个译本,当时的一位圣经翻译者王元德新造了一个“神圣的”代词“祂”,偏旁“礻”表示神明。一般汉语读者会立即知道这字的发音是tā,而这个偏旁表示属灵的事物,因此他们明白这个字指出,三位一体的所有位格都没有性别之分,而单单是上帝。
然而,最重要的新教圣经译本(1919年的《和合本》)和天主教圣经译本(1968年的《思高圣经》)都没有采用“祂”;虽然如此,许多其他的圣经译本采用了这个字,另外还广泛出现在赞美诗和其他基督信仰的书刊中。(资料来源:Zetzsche)
《吕振中译本》的几个早期版本也使用“祂”来指称“上帝”;这个译本的《新约》于1946年译成,整部《圣经》于1970年完成。克拉默斯(Kramers)指出:“‘他’的这种新写法(即‘祂’)产生了一个小问题,就是在指称耶稣的时候,是否一律使用这个敬语代词?《吕振中译本》遵循的原则是,在称呼耶稣这个人的时候,用一般的‘他’,而在称呼耶稣神性的时候,特别是升天之后的耶稣,则用尊称‘祂’。”
Translator: Simon Wong
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