Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 26:23:
Kupsabiny: “And if I have punished you like that and you do not listen and continue to show me defiance,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “If you do not come to me even [after] even after this much punishment, and [you] go [against me,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If you (plur.) still do- not -listen to me but-instead you (plur.) still continue to disobey/to-go-against me,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “‘hen you experience those things that I do to punish you, if you still do not pay attention to me, and if you continue to oppose me,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
If by this discipline you are not turned to me: literally “if after these you are not corrected….” To maintain the nuance of this passive construction, it may be necessary to translate “if all this punishment does not cause you to return to me,” or “if all this does not make you straighten up,” or “… change your ways.”
Walk contrary to me: see verse 21. Here Good News Translation adds the word “continue” in order to show that this is not the beginning of the attitude of defiance.
Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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