ambition, goal

The term that is rendered as “my ambition” or “my goal” in English is translation into Hakha Chin with an appropriate idiom drawn from the language of hunting in the forest: “the animal I kill” (source: David Clark)

It is translated as “put heart into” in Tzeltal and “very desirous” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Cor. 5:9)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

The Karbi and Copainalá Zoque translators chose an inclusive form. D. Filbeck says: “We do not feel that Paul expected to be made an exception to believers in general. Informant insists on inclusive.”

Source: David Filbeck in The Bible Translator 1994, p. 401ff. (Copainalá Zoque) and Source: W. R. Hutton in The Bible Translator April 1953, p. 86ff. (Karbi).

complete verse (2 Corinthians 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 5:9:

  • Uma: “We don’t know whether the Lord will find us while we are still living or whether we will already be dead. But no matter what, we always exert effort to do what makes his heart glad.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But whether here in the world or there in heaven, that is what we (incl.) really wish/want that he is pleased with us (incl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, wherever we are, whether we are still here on the earth or whether we are already there in the place where God lives, we really want to fulfill what God wants us to do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but whether we (excl.) are on this earth or where he is in heaven, our (excl.) most-important purpose/motive is that he be pleased with us (excl.).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore that’s what we (excl.) are really striving for, that he will always be pleased with us (excl.) as long as we are here in the world, and then when (we are) in heaven.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now, whether I live or should die, I want always to do the will of the Lord.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Corinthians 5:9

The precise reference for the words at home and away is not clear. Good News Translation takes them to mean “at home here [in our earthly existence]” as in 5.6; but it is just as possible that the sense is “at home with the Lord or away from him” as in 5.8 (so Contemporary English Version). In either case the meaning is essentially the same, namely, “whether in this life or in the life to come.” In some languages away will be translated by the negative of at home, that is, “not at home.”

Note that Good News Translation has restructured this verse so that it speaks first of Paul’s strong desire to please the Lord. This may be a helpful model for other languages.

We make it our aim: the verb used here is found elsewhere only in Rom 15.20 and 1 Thes 4.11. It indicates a very strong desire to do something. Good News Translation attempts to reflect this by beginning the sentence with “More than anything else….” Some other possible renderings are: “we make it our ambition…” (New Jerusalem Bible and Anchor Bible); “we are eager…” (Moffatt); “we try our best…” (Contemporary English Version).

To please him: the pronoun him refers to the Lord Jesus. The verb in this expression may have to be translated in other languages by a causative form such as “cause to be pleased” or “make happy.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .