Some languages, including Chilcotin, heavily use iterative verbs which denote a continuously repeated action.
Quindel King reports (in Northern Canada Evangelical Mission 1996, p. 70): “While Jesus was ministering, he did a lot of traveling, so we must determine where Jesus went and be able to indicate with iterative verb forms when he made a repeat visit to a certain town, lake shore or even a home! This must be done throughout the entire book so that there will be no confusion on the part of the hearers or readers.”
In the translation of Mark there are three mentions of Jesus visiting Capernaum. In Mark 1:21 the Chilcotin translation indicates that that was his first visit with his disciples (jagheninan — “they, a small group”), in Mark 2:1 only Jesus is referenced (nanjah — “he returned”), in Mark 9:33 Jesus and his disciples are mentioned (najaghindan — “they, a small group, returned”). (Source: Quindel King)
The Greek in Mark 9:33 that is translated as “in the house” in English is translated in El Nayar Cora as “in his house” and in Choapan Zapotec as “the house that they entered when they first came to Capernaum.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
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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.
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “ask” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-tazune (お尋ね), combining “inquire” (tazune) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
Jesus (dijo): “Vamonos” y caminaba en frente. Los discípulos que iban atrás estaban diciendo: “Yo so el primero, el líder.” “Tú no, yo soy el primero, el líder.”
Los discípulos estaban discutiendo así y llegaron al pueblo de Capernaúm y fueron a casa. Jesús les dijo: “Ahorita estaban discutiendo, ¿qué era?”
Los discípulos lo miraban: Caray, y estaban callados. Jesús les miró y se sentó y llamó a los doce discípulos que vinieran alrededor. (Dijo): “¿Uds quieren ser el primero, el líder? Deben ser entonces el último, humilde, necesitan servir a todas las personas.”
“Yo les cuento un ejemplo”, y llamó un niño y lo tomó en su regazo. “Yo les mando a que pongan atención a los niños. Eso es lo mismo como si ponen atención a mi, yo el mismo que Dios mandó que viniera, y si uds ponen atención a mi eso es lo mismo como si ponen atención a Dios.”
Jesus (said): “Let’s go” and he walked ahead of them, behind him the disciples came and they were saying: “I am the first, the leader.” “No, not you, I am the first, the leader.”
The disciples were arguing thus and they arrived at the village of Capernaum and went home. Jesus said to them: “Just now you were arguing. What was it about?”
The disciples looked at him: Oh no, and they kept quiet. Jesus looked at them and sit down and called the disciples around him. (He said): “You want to be the first, the leader? Then you must be the last, humble, you need to serve all the people.”
“I will tell you an example”, and he called a child and took it on his lap. “I tell you that you need to pay attention to the children. That is the same as paying attention to me, I who was sent by God to come, and if you pay attention to me it’s the same as paying attention to God.”
The disciples and Jesus were walking along the road. Jesus went first, followed by the disciples. The disciples began to argue with each other about who was the most important. Finally they all came to a house in the town of Capernaum. In the house Jesus asked the disciples:
— As we were walking, what did you argue with each other about on the way?
The disciples were silent. Jesus sat down, called the disciples to him, and said to them:
— Those of you who want to be first must be last of all and must serve all.
Jesus took a child and placed it in the center. He embraced the child and said. If you love me, you must also be willing to love and care for this child. And the one who loves me deeply also loves my father who sent me.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Ученики и Иисус шли по дороге. Иисус шел первый, ученики за ним. Ученики стали спорить друг с другом, кто из них самый главный. Наконец, все они пришли в дом в городе Капернаум. В доме Иисус спросил учеников:
— Когда мы шли, о чем вы спорили друг с другом в пути?
Ученики молчали. Иисус сел, подозвал к себе учеников и сказал им:
— Тот из вас, кто хочет быть первым, должен быть последним из всех и должен служить всем.
Иисус взял ребенка и поставил его в центре. Он обнял ребенка и сказал. Если вы любите мне, то вы должны быть готовы также полюбить и этого ребенка и заботиться о нем. А тот, кто глубоко любит меня, тот любит и моего отца, который послал меня.
One of the distinctions of the gospel of Mark is a breathlessness of telling the story of Jesus. One way that is achieved is by using the Greek kai, normally “and” in English, at the beginning of sections. Different versions and languages have found their own ways of translating it, but the German translation by Walter Jens (publ. 1990, 1998) is unique by consistently using Und ich erzähle or “And I’m telling (you)” for every such occurrence of kai.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:33:
Uma: “They arrived at the village of Kapernaum. [Once] they were in the house, Yesus asked his disciples, he said: ‘What did you keep talking about on the road earlier?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then they arrived in the town Kapernaum. When they were there already in the house, Isa asked his disciples. ‘What were you arguing-about on the way?’ he said.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Jesus arrived in the village of Capernaum, and they were already in the house, Jesus asked his disciples, he said, ‘What were you arguing about a while ago on the trail?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When they arrived in Capernaum and they entered a house, then Jesus asked his disciples, ‘What were you arguing about on the road a little-while-ago?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus and company reached Capernaum. When they were in the house, Jesus questioned his disciples. He said, ‘What were you arguing about there on the trail?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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