The name that is transliterated as “Pilate” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language (as well as in French Sign Language) with the sign signifying the washing of hands (referring to Matthew 27:24). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)
In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “government/governor” plus the sign for “P” with a circular movement. The reference to government indicates Pilate’s position of authority in the Roman Empire. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Pilate” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The Greek that is translated as “centurion” in English is translated in Noongar as “boss of the Roman soldiers (lit.: ‘men of fighting’)” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Uma as “Roman army warchief” (source: Uma Back Translation), in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “a person who was not a Jew, the captain of a hundred soldiers” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Mairasi “leader of Roman warriors” (source: Enggavoter 2004).
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 15:44:
Uma: “Pilatus was surprised to hear that Yesus had quickly died. That’s why he called the chief soldier and inquired of him if Yesus had been long dead.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Pilatus wondered/was amazed when he heard that Isa had already died. He called the captain and asked him if his death (had occurred) a long time (ago).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Pilate was amazed because why had the death of Jesus come so quickly. So he sent someone to the head of the soldiers and asked if Jesus was already dead.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Pilato was surprised upon hearing that Jesus was already dead, so he had-called the captain of the soldiers to inquire whether it was true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When Pilato heard, he was amazed as to why Jesus was dead so soon. That’s why he called for the captain of soldiers, for he asked if Jesus truly was already dead.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Nestle and the majority of editions of the Greek text have palai for ‘some time’ (before apethanen ‘he died’); Westcott and Hort, Lagrange, Taylor, Kilpatrick (and Revised Standard Version), however, read ēdē ‘already.’
Exegesis:
ethaumasen ei ‘he marvelled that’ (and not Revised Standard Version ‘he wondered if’; cf. Translator’s New Testament ‘was astonished that’): ei after thaumazō ‘to marvel,’ ‘to wonder at’ (cf. 5.20) is to be translated ‘that,’ indicating the cause of the wonder or admiration (cf. 1 Jn. 3.13 which Revised Standard Version correctly translates ‘wonder … that’). The verb thaumazō here does not mean ‘to wonder’ in the sense of ‘to conjecture,’ ‘to be undecided about’: it means ‘to wonder at,’ ‘to marvel.’
ēdē tethnēken ‘he had already died,’ ‘he was by now dead.’
thnēskō (only here in Mark; cf. apothnēskō 5.35) ‘to die.’
proskalesamenos (cf. 3.13) ‘summoning,’ ‘calling to himself.’
epērōtēsen auton ei ‘he asked him if’: ei ‘if’ used in indirect questions (cf. 3.2) has the sense of ‘whether.’
palai apethanen (Nestle text) ‘a long time (ago) he died’: although palai usually means ‘for a long time’ it can mean (as it probably does here) ‘already,’ as a virtual synonym of ēdē ‘already,’ ‘by now’; Revised Standard Version margin translates palai ‘some time.’
Translation:
Wondered if … is translatable in some languages only as direct discourse, e.g. ‘Pilate said in his mind, Is it really true that he had died?’ (Tabasco Chontal).
Were already dead identifies a state, but in some languages the process must be specifically mentioned, e.g. ‘had already died.’
Summoning is rendered in some languages as ‘sent for the centurion to come’ or ‘sent servants to say to the centurion to come.’ Summoning should not be rendered as ‘yelled at.’
Asked him whether …, if shifted into the form of direct discourse, may be translated as ‘asked him, Is Jesus already dead?’ If the indirect discourse is retained one must make certain that the proper referent for he is understood; otherwise the reader may be confused with what is grammatically a reference to the centurion or even to Pilate.
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 .
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