Example 3

EXAMPLE 3

Mark 2:19

Compare the different versions of Mark 2:19 that are given below, and answer the questions that follow.

Greek text with word-for-word key in English:

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς· μὴ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ
ke ipen aftis o Iisus mi dynante i yii
and he-said to-them the Jesus not they-are-able the sons

 

τοῦ νυμφῶνος, ἐν ᾧ ὁ νυμφίος μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐστι, νηστεύειν; ὅσον
tu nymfonos en o o nymfios met' afton esti, nistevin? oson
of-the bridechamber in which the bridegroom with them he-is to-fast? what

 

χρόνον μεθ᾿ ἑαυτῶν ἔχουσι τὸν νυμφίον, οὐ δύνανται νηστεύειν.
hronon meth' eafton ehusi ton nymfion, u dinante nistevin.
time with themselves they-have the bridegroom not they-are-able to-fast.

 

English version A (The word-for-word English key repeated):

And he-said to-them the Jesus: “Not they-are-able the sons of-the bridechamber, in which the bridegroom with them he-is, to fast? What time they-have the bridegroom with them, not they-are-able to-fast.”

English version B

And Jesus said to them, “Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.”

English version C Jesus answered, “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that.”

EXERCISE 3

  1. Comparing versions A and B, write down some things that the English translator of version B has done to re-express the message in English in a clear and natural way.
  2. Comparing versions A and B, write down some ways in which the translator of version B has still followed very closely the original Greek form. Is there anything in version B that a reader might find hard to understand?
  3. Comparing versions A, B, and C, what further adjustments has the translator of version C made in order to be more clear and natural in English?

In one language where the expression “children of the bridechamber” was translated word-for-word, the people thought that it meant “the children who the bride has borne before her marriage.” This fitted well with the custom of the area where it was considered a good thing for a woman to have borne children before her marriage as it was proof of her fertility! So beware. A translation that follows closely the words of the original message, word-for-word, may sometimes give a wrong meaning. Notice that version C communicates what is generally considered to be the correct meaning. It is therefore more accurate at this point than version B.

REMEMBER:
1 The words and expressions of each language are different.
2 The way that words are arranged in sentences (i.e., the “grammar”) in each language is different.
3 If the translator keeps too closely to the grammar and words of the original language, the translation may be unnatural, confusing, and it may even give the wrong meaning.

Adapted from Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles by Katharine Barnwell, 2017, page 10.