Exegesis:
ti aitesthe ‘what you are asking for’ (rather than Revised Standard Version ‘what you are asking’ – cf. v. 35; see Goodspeed).
piein to potērion ‘to drink (the contents of) the cup’: here a symbol of suffering, as often in the O.T. (cf. Ps. 75.9; Isa. 51.17-22; Jer. 25.15).
pinō (10.39; 14.23, 25; 16.18) ‘drink.’
potērion (cf. 7.4) ‘cup,’ ‘drinking vessel.’
to baptisma ho egō baptizomai ‘the baptism with which I am baptized.’ The use of the noun and the verb ‘baptism’ and ‘baptize’ in the metaphorical sense of sufferings and tribulations which “overwhelm” one is well attested by the papyri (cf. Moulton & Milligan). For the two words cf. 1.4, 5.
The two presents pinō ‘I drink’ and baptizomai ‘I am baptized’ may be understood in one of three ways: (1) as “punctiliar” presents, without any time reference at all, so that the statements are the equivalent of: ‘Are you able to drink my cup, or undergo my baptism?’; (2) as futuristic presents, as quite commonly used in the N.T.: ‘the cup which I am to drink’ and ‘the baptism with which I am to be baptized’; (3) as linear presents the words would mean: ‘the cup which I am (now) drinking’ and ‘the baptism which I am (now) undergoing.’ Most translations reflect the first possibility (American Standard Version, Montgomery, Berkeley, Manson, Revised Standard Version, Translator’s New Testament, O Novo Testamento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo. Revisdo Autorizada), while others prefer the second (Moffatt, The Modern Speech New Testament, Lagrange; cf. Swete); the third interpretation is adopted by Goodspeed (cf. also Taylor). The whole context of the disciples’ request and Jesus’ answer would seem to favor the second interpretation.
Translation:
Drink the cup cannot be translated literally in many languages. People say ‘to drink from a cup,’ but not ‘drink a cup.’
An additional problem exists in this verse because of the fact that there is no clue to indicate that these expressions about drinking and being baptized are figurative statements. As straight literal statements, e.g. ‘are you able to drink from the cup that I drink from,’ they would not seem to be very meaningful. Accordingly, in some languages the introduction of a linguistic clue to the fact that these are figures is legitimate – in fact, necessary, e.g. ‘are you able, as it were, to drink from the cup….’ Any such expression, e.g. ‘as it were,’ ‘like,’ ‘as though,’ may indicate to the reader the figurative, and hence, more meaningful significance of the passage.
For baptize see 1.4, but in this context there is usually a simplification of wording which is required, e.g. ‘can you be baptized as I will be baptized’ (Sapo), for baptized with the baptism is often a quite impossible expression, especially in languages in which baptism must be translated as a verb, not as a noun.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .