“Showing respect” in Bible translation
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Date
2010
Authors
Van der Spuy, R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State
Abstract
This article focuses on the way respect is shown by using 2nd person personal pronouns
in languages that distinguish between you plural (you all), you honorific (polite) and
you singular (familiar) forms. It discusses the likely influence of the well known Russian
Synodal Translation on other translations in the former Soviet Union regarding
the usage of the 2nd person personal pronouns. This article also highlights by way of
comparison how Afrikaans and other Western translations use the 2nd person personal
pronoun. Problems often arise when the original languages are followed too literally
without taking into account the target culture, or due to the translators’ perception of the
social status of the engaging referents. Issues discussed and principles drawn from this
study not only apply to the Russian world, but also influence all translations that have
a set of 2nd person personal pronouns that distinguishes between 2nd person singular,
plural and polite forms.
Description
Keywords
Bible translation, Respect, Russian, Social context, Culture
Citation
Van der Spuy, R. (2010). "Showing respect" in Bible translation. Acta Theologica, 30(1), 158 -173.