fast (verb)

The Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “fast” in English is translated in Isthmus Mixe as “going without food to worship God” and in Lacandon as “leaving eating in order to talk to God.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

In Vidunda it is translated as “resting to eat.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Mark 2:18-22 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 2:18-22 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Some people turned to Jesus and asked:

— These are the disciples of John the messenger. And these are the disciples of the Pharisees. They are fasting, refusing to eat, are hungry and sorrowful.

Jesus said:

— Now I am going to explain this to you. I’m going to give you three examples.

The first example. If there is a feast, a feast, a wedding, and the bridegroom has come, will the assembled guests refuse to eat? Will they fast? Will they grieve? Of course not! All together they will rejoice. But when the bridegroom leaves, when the guests see the bridegroom gone, then they will refuse to eat, they will fast and be sad.

Second example. Here are clothes that are worn out, all old, shabby, worn out, with holes, are we really going to sew a patch of new cloth to these old clothes? No one would do that. And if we sew a patch of new fabric, the old clothes will tear even more.

Third example. Here is a wine bag made from skins. This is an old bag. New wine is not poured into such a bag. And if you pour new wine into such an old bag of skins, the bag will burst and all the wine will spill out. Therefore, new wine is poured into new wine bags.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Некоторые люди обратились к Иисусу и спросили:

— Есть ученики вестника Иоанна. Вот ученики фарисеев. Они постятся, отказываются от еды, испытывают голод и находятся в печали. Твои ученики почему не постятся?

Иисус сказал:

— Сейчас я вам объясню. Я расскажу вам три примера.

Первый пример. Если сегодня торжество, праздник, свадьба, и пришел жених, разве гости, которые собрались, будут отказываться от еды? поститься? печалиться? Конечно же, нет! Все вместе они будут радоваться. Но когда жениха не станет, когда гости увидят, что жениха нет, тогда они откажутся от еды, будут поститься и печалиться.

Второй пример. Вот одежда износилась, вся старая, ветхая, потертая, с дырками, разве мы будем к этой старой одежде пришивать заплатку из новой ткани? Так никто не делает. А если пришить заплату из новой ткани, то тогда старая одежда порвется еще хуже.

Третий пример. Вот мешок для вина из шкур. Это старый мешок. В такой мешок не наливают молодого вина. А если налить молодое вино в такой старый мешок из шкур, то мешок лопнет и все вино выльется. Поэтому молодое вино наливают в новые мешки для вина.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 2:23-28 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 2:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:20:

  • Uma: “But the time will come, when the bridegroom will be taken from their midst. At that time they will fast.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But in the future, when the bridegroom has been caused-to-leave/been driven-away, then they will fast.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said to them, ‘For example,’ he said, ‘if there is a wedding, the companions of the bridegroom, they wouldn’t think about fasting while the bridegroom is still with them. But later, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast. It is just the same way with my disciples, for if I am still with them, they will not fast.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But a time will come when the man-getting-married is taken away from them, and that is when they will fast.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, that’s how it is with these disciples of mine. But the day will come when I will be separated from them. And then is when they will fast.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 2:20

Exegesis:

hotan aparthē ‘when he is taken away’: the subjunctive mode of the verb is required by the sentence construction; its meaning, however, is not ‘when he may be taken away,’ as though doubt were expressed, but, simply, ‘when he is taken away,’ a statement of future fact.

apairō (the word occurs only here and parallel passages Mt. 9.15, Lk. 5.35, in the N.T.) ‘take away,’ ‘remove’: the verb, as such, does not state whether the removal is natural, or sudden and violent. The context of the whole saying, however, implies a violent removal which will provoke sorrow (cf. the use of the verb in the Septuagint Isa. 53.8).

nēsteusousin ‘they will fast’: a declaration of what will happen in the future, not a command.

Translation:

In place of the days some languages employ ‘the day’ as an expression of indefinite temporal reference (Amganad Ifugao). One may, of course, also translate ‘the time will come.’

Is taken away may in some languages be paralleled by ‘is caused to go away’ or ‘is led away,’ since objects may ‘be taken’ but people are either ‘caused to go’ or ‘are led.’

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 .