82 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
82 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
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### Description
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All languages have ways of showing that the same person fills two different roles in a sentence. English does this by using **reflexive pronouns**. These are pronouns that refer to someone or something that has already been mentioned in a sentence. In English the reflexive pronouns are: "myself", "yourself", "himself", "herself", "itself", "ourselves", "yourselves", and "themselves". Other languages may have other ways to show this.
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### Reason this is a translation issue
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* Languages have different ways of showing that the same person fills two different roles in a sentence. For those languages, translators will need to know how to translate the English reflexive pronouns.
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* The reflexive pronouns in English also have other functions.
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### Uses of Reflexive Pronouns
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* To show that the same person or things fills two different roles in a sentence
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* To emphasize a person or thing in the sentence
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* To show that someone did something alone
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* To show that someone or something was alone
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### Examples from the Bible
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Reflexive pronouns are used to show the same person or thing fills two different roles in a sentence.
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> If ***I*** should testify about ***myself*** alone, my testimony would not be true. (John 5:31 ULT)
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> Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and ***many*** went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover in order to purify ***themselves***. (John 11:55 ULT)
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Reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize a person or thing in the sentence.
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> ***Jesus himself*** was not baptizing, but his disciples were (John 4:2 ULT)
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> So they left the crowd, taking Jesus with them, since he was already in the boat. Other boats were also with him. And a violent windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already full. But ***Jesus himself*** was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. (Mark 4:36-38 ULT)
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Reflexive pronouns are used to show that someone did something alone.
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> When Jesus realized that they were about to come and seize him by force to make him king, he withdrew again up the mountain ***by himself***. (John 6:15 ULT)
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Reflexive pronouns are used to show that someone or something was alone.
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> He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth that had been on his head. ***It*** was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in its place ***by itself***. (John 20:6-7 ULT)
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### Translation Strategies
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If a reflexive pronoun would have the same function in your language, consider using it. If not, here are some other strategies.
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1. In some languages people put something on the verb to show that the object of the verb is the same as the subject.
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1. In some languages people emphasize a certain person or thing by referring to it in a special place in the sentence.
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1. In some languages people emphasize a certain person or thing by adding something to that word or putting another word with it.
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1. In some languages people show that someone did something alone by using a word like “alone”.
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1. In some languages people show that something was alone by using a phrase that tells about where it was.
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### Examples of Translation Strategies Applied
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(1) In some languages people put something on the verb to show that the object of the verb is the same as the subject.
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> **If I should testify about ***myself*** alone, my testimony would not be true.** (John 5:31)
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>> “If I should ***self-testify*** alone, my testimony would not be true.”
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> **Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover in order to ***purify themselves***.** (John 11:55)
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>> “Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover in order to ***self-purify***.”
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(2) In some languages people emphasize a certain person or thing by referring to it in a special place in the sentence.
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> *****He himself*** took our sickness and bore our diseases.** (Matthew 8:17 ULT)
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>> “***It was he who*** took our sickness and bore our diseases.”
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> *****Jesus himself*** was not baptizing, but his disciples were.** (John 4:2)
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>> “***It was not Jesus who*** was baptizing, but his disciples were.”
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(3) In some languages people emphasize a certain person or thing by adding something to that word or putting another word with it. English adds the reflexive pronoun.
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> **Now Jesus said this to test Philip, for he ***himself*** knew what he was going to do.** (John 6:6)
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(4) In some languages people show that someone did something alone by using a word like “alone”.
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> **When Jesus realized that they were about to come and seize him by force to make him king, he withdrew again up the mountain ***by himself***.** (John 6:15)
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>> “When Jesus realized that they were about to come and seize him by force to make him king, he withdrew again ***alone*** up the mountain.”
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(5) In some languages people show that something was alone by using a phrase that tells about where it was.
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> **He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth that had been on his head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in its place ***by itself***.** (John 20:6-7 ULT)
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>> “He saw the linen cloths lying there and the cloth that had been on his head. It was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up and lying ***in it’s own place***.”
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