When in the Greek text Thomas is also referred to with a term that is translated in English as “Twin,” it was dropped for the Siane translation because it was found that the word had a bad connotation for the Siane and it was not important for the understanding of the story.
untie sandals
The Greek that is translated as “(not worthy to) untie sandals” or similar in English is translated in Awa as “because he is an important one, when he speaks I will be silent” since “the Jewish idea of not being worthy of even removing the sandals of an important person is foreign to Papua New Guinea.”
Other languages express it this way: “I am not worthy to be his servant” (Yatzachi Zapotec), “if unworthy I should even carry his burden, it would not be right” (Alekano), or “I don’t compare with him” (Tenango Otomi). (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
In Ayutla Mixtec it is translated as “I am too unworthy to perform even the lowliest of tasks for him” to avoid the wrong meaning of playing a trick by tying the sandals. In Choapan Zapotec the metaphor of the shoelaces is completely replaced by a similar one from the local culture: “I am not even important to carry his pack.” (Source for this and above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
See also sandal (illustration)
no greater joy
The Greek that is translated in English as “I have no greater joy” is translated in Sinasina is translated as ‘this happiness of mine surpasses all other happiness” since there is no comparative form (such as “greater”).
lived after
In many languages, “events which are implied in a chronological sequence need to be inserted in the translation (…) In Genesis 11 where the text says, ‘so-and-so lived after (so many sons and daughters so many years),’ at the end of each occurrence the Timbe translation adds, ‘and he died’ to complete the chronological sequence.”
chronological order (Luke 2:7)
In many languages, “events which are implied in a chronological sequence need to be inserted in the translation (…) In Luke 2:7 , after describing the birth of Jesus and his being laid in a manger, the text says, ‘because there was no room for them in the inn;’ in Enga the events were placed in chronological order and the words ‘she entered the cattle place and’ inserted before mentioning the birth, to account for Mary getting from the inn to the place of Jesus’s birth.”
The text of the verse in Enga: Dokopa Matiame baanya wane mupa ane doko mandea-pyaa. Mandipala lapalapame ambo pyapala mena pulumakawanya nee nenge tapoko mendenya setapala isoo petea-pyaa. Endakali opone palenge anda dokonya palipenge panda nasiamosa dopa pia-pyaa.
order of events (Acts 1:4)
In many languages, “events which are implied in a chronological sequence need to be inserted in the translation (…) In Acts 1:4 Jesus says, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem , but wait . . . ‘; in Gadsup the words ‘and then go’ were added at the end, otherwise the readers will think the injunction was never to leave.”
order of events (Acts 10:48)
In many languages, “events which are implied in a chronological sequence need to be inserted in the translation. Acts 10:48 states, ‘he commanded them to be baptized . . . then they asked him to remain for some days;’ in Wahgi the additional actions ‘so they baptized them’ and ‘so Peter stayed with them’ had to be added so the readers would know both actions actually occurred.”