Featured Words Hard to Translate

Do you mean the very sharp, real copy of a ninja sword that I have in my current avatar? Forget it. That would hurt!!!

 

Temple. Consider the two Greek words for “temple”: ἱερόν and ναός.

The word hieron (ἱερόν) is used for the entire Jewish temple complex. Therefore a word should be chosen which represents not just a single building, but a complex with a courtyard, etc. The word naos (ναός) is used for the actual temple building erected by Solomon or Herod.

Many English translations do not differentiate between the two meanings, but using two different words will clear up some of the misconceptions about events at the Jewish temple.

On the other hand, what makes this word difficult is that many cultures do not have a temple per se. Missionaries translating into third world tribal languages would certainly have trouble with these two words. If Nestorian missionary had come to ancient Japan (as they apparently did) before the coming of Buddhism to the country in the 6th century, he would have had to access the Chinese language to find a word for temple. The original religion of Japan was Shinto, which is nothing more than a form of spiritism with no real theology to it. Shinto has plenty of shrines, large and small, but no temples.

 

Nope, that would be the wakizashi (脇差), the shorter of the two swords a samurai habitually carried. Mine is a ninja sword, and ninjas didn't commit suicide. They assassinated people.

 

No, when they have been dishonored and don't deserve to live.

 

Well, since it is now the 7th page, I'll add one more word that is pretty controversial. What shall we do with oinos (οἶνος), translated "wine" throughout the KJV and most other versions?? My research says that a word is needed to reflect the fact that the original has a wide range of meaning, and can mean grape juice as well as alcoholic wine. I know many people disagree, but there are passages in which it clearly refers to grape juice, such as in the LXX when it is actually used for oinos still in the grape! Many other passages are ambiguous. Therefore, I suggest an ambiguous word, a word with a wide range of meaning.

Regardless, it becomes even more difficult to translate when you are working with a language and culture that doesn't have grapes. This was true in Japan in the 19th century when the Bible was first translated. Japan at that time had no grapes, no vineyards, no wine of any kind. Thus, the first complete Japanese Bible, the Motoyaku, used sake (酒, pron. sakeh) for what the Lord made in John 2. That stuff is very strong, 14% to 16% alcohol. To me, that was definitely a mistaken translation. (This word is also used occasionally for all liquors.)

What to do, then? I'd say transliterate carefully with an explanatory footnote.

Funny story. Many years ago a radical defender of the KJV started a translation effort from the KJV into Japanese. I still have copies of his John ch. 1-4. For oinos he used the transliterated term for modern alcoholic wine, which is wain (ワイン), which is always alcoholic. Yet he was a teetotaler! Figure that one out. By the way, I believe he is still working on his translation after about 30 years, and to my knowledge has never published anything (like a Gospel of John, for example). Caveat: I'll defend the KJV myself--think it's the best ever in English--but am not radical on it.

 

Same word.