The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sailor(s)” in English is translated in Kouya as “worker(s) in the big canoe.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:
Acts chapter 27 was a challenge! It describes Paul’s sea voyage to Italy, and finally Rome. There is a storm at sea and a shipwreck on Malta, and the chapter includes much detailed nautical vocabulary. How do you translate this for a landlocked people group, most of whom have never seen the ocean? All they know are small rivers and dugout canoes.
We knew that we could later insert some illustrations during the final paging process which would help the Kouya readers to picture what was happening, but meanwhile we struggled to find or invent meaningful terms. The ‘ship’ was a ‘big canoe’ and the ‘passengers’ were ‘the people in the big canoe’; the ‘crew’ were the ‘workers in the big canoe’; the ‘pilot’ was the ‘driver of the big canoe’; the ‘big canoe stopping place’ was the ‘harbour’, and the ‘big canoe stopping metal’ was the ‘anchor’!”
In Rincón Zapotec, it is translated as “men having the care of the boat” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Newari as “the ones operating the ship” (source: Newari back-translation).
The Greek that is translated into English as “gnashed their teeth” or “ground their teeth” is translated in Pwo Karen as “their eyes were green/blue with anger” (source: David Clark), in Yao as “they had itchy teeth” (“meaning they very anxious to destroy him”) (source: Nida / Reyburn, p. 56), in Estado de México Otomi as “gnashed their teeth at him to show anger” (to specify their emotion) (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.), in Coatlán Mixe as “ground their teeth in anger like wild hogs,” in Rincón Zapotec as “showed their teeth (like a dog) because of their anger” (source for this and before: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and in Gullah as suck dey teet or “suck their teeth” (source: David Frank).
In the the widely-used Mandarin Chinese Union Version it is translated with an existing Chinese proverb: yǎoyá qièchǐ (咬牙切齿 / 咬牙切齒) or “gnash teeth, grind teeth.” (Source: Zetzsche)
See also gnashing of teeth and contempt / scorn / ridicule / abuse.
The Greek in Acts 7:2 that is translated as “brothers and fathers” in English is translated in various ways:
- Purari: “younger and older brothers” (source: David Clark)
- Mairasi: “fathers, friends, in-laws & all” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bariai: “companions and elders” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Teutila Cuicatec: “all of you, officials of our nation and my brothers”
- Isthmus Mixe: “old men and brothers” (according to order of respect)
- Lalana Chinantec “companions, men”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “you men, fathers”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “you who are our relatives, and you whom I made my fathers”
- Highland Popoluca: “my older uncles”
- Rincón Zapotec: “elders and brothers” (source for this and six above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also brothers and fathers.
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “holy ground” is tranlated as “you are before me and I am good” in Morelos Nahuatl and “where I myself am and I am God” in Rincón Zapotec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek in Acts 14:27 that is often translated “(he had) opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” is translated as “made it possible for them to believe in Jesus” in Highland Popoluca or as “God permitted them to believe in him” in Rincón Zapotec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek in Acts 27:19 that is translated as “tackle” in English is translated as “things that do the work of the boat” in Rincón Zapotec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Greek that is translated as “vapor” or “mist” in English is translated as “cloud” in Eastern Highland Otomi, “smoke” in Alekano and “steam” in Rincón Zapotec (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).
The Greek in James 3:17 that is translated as “impartial” in English is translated as “not changeable” in Mezquital Otomi), “never go back on one’s word” in Eastern Highland Otomi, “in just one way one judges” in Rincón Zapotec), “to treat all companions the same” in Yatzachi Zapotec and “love people equally” in Central Mazahua.
(Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).
See also judge impartially.
