The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 29:4:
Kupsabiny: “When a king is righteous his country is supported/strengthened but the one who likes a thing from the left hand bad dealings/corruption) is destroying/tearing down his country.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “When the king pursues justice, the country will become strong. But when the king pursues money, the country will be ruined.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When a king is-concerned-about justice, he strengthens his kingdom, but when he is-concerned-about bribe(s), he destroys his kingdom.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “A king is able-to-strengthen a nation by-means-of his righteous/just way-of-ruling, but the ruler who collects high taxes, he ruins his country.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “When a king rules justly/fairly, he causes his nation to be strong, but a king who is concerned only with getting more money from the people ruins his nation.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
This saying gives a concrete example of the results of good and wicked rulers mentioned in verse 2.
“By justice a king gives stability to the land”: “By justice” means by ruling justly or fairly or by being an honest ruler. “Gives stability” is literally “causes to stand” and refers to making “the land” or nation strong and prosperous.
“But one who exacts gifts ruins it”: “One who exacts gifts” is literally “man demanding contributions.” Elsewhere the word rendered “exacts gifts” always denotes a sacrificial offering. The sense of Revised Standard Version is “taking bribes,” and this may be correct here. Equally possible is the idea of “excessive taxation.” Good News Translation gives a general rendering, “only concerned with money.” Contemporary English Version is more concrete with “takes bribes.” “Ruins it” means “ruins or destroys the nation.”
A translation that brings out the element of contrast in this whole saying says “If the king is strong in doing what is right, the life of his country will be strong. But if he is strong only in getting money, the life of his country will become no good.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.