See in Reader
76 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
76 lines
5.1 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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**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 a sentence
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* To show that a person or thing was alone or did something alone
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### Reasons this is a translation issue
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* Languages have different ways of showing the things that reflexive pronouns in the ULB show.
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* When translators read a reflexive pronoun in the ULB, they need to understand what that reflexive pronoun is used for.
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* Translators need to know how to show those meanings in their own language.
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### Examples from the Bible
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##### The reflexive pronoun shows that the same person or thing fills two different roles in a sentence. Often the reflexive pronoun is the object of the sentence, and it refers to the same person that the subject refers to. (See [Sentence Structure](../figs-sentences/01.md))
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>Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but <u>Jesus</u> hid <u>himself</u> and went out of the temple. (John 8:59 ULB)
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"Jesus" is the subject of the verb "hid," and "himself" is the object of "hid." The word "himself" refers to Jesus.
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>If <u>I</u> should testify about <u>myself</u>, my testimony would not be true. (John 5:31 ULB)
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The word "I" is the subject of "testify," and "myself" is the object of "testify." The words "I" and "myself" both refer to Jesus.
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>Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and <u>many</u> went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover in order to purify <u>themselves</u>. (John 11:55 ULB)
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"Many" is the subject of "purify," and "themselves" is the object of "purify." The word "themselves" refers to the many people.
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##### The reflexive pronouns emphasizes a person or thing in the sentence.
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>... <u>Jesus himself</u> was not baptizing, but his disciples were ... (John 4:2 ULB)
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>So they left the crowd, taking Jesus with them, since he was already in the boat. ... And a violent windstorm arose and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already full. But <u>Jesus himself</u> was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. (Mark 4:36-38 ULB)
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##### The reflexive pronoun shows that a person or thing was alone or did something alone.
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>... while the kings who had come were <u>by themselves</u> in the field. (1 Chronicles 19:9 ULB)
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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 <u>by himself</u>. (John 6:15 ULB)
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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 that some languages use.
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1. Show that the object of the verb is the same as the subject by putting something on the verb.
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1. Emphasize a certain person or thing by referring to it in a special place in the sentence.
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1. Emphasize a certain person or thing by adding something to that word or putting another word with it.
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1. Show that a person or thing was alone or did something alone by using a word like "alone."
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### Examples of Translation Strategies Applied
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1. Show that the object of the verb is the same as the subject by putting something on the verb.
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* **If I should testify about <u>myself</u>, my testimony would not be true.** (John 5:31)
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* If I should <u>self-testify</u>, 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 <u>purify themselves</u>.** (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 <u>self-purify</u>.
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1. Emphasize a certain person or thing by referring to it in a special place in the sentence.
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* **<u>He himself</u> took our sickness and bore our diseases.** (Matthew 8:17 ULB)
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* <u>It was he who</u> took our sickness and bore our diseases.
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* **<u>Jesus himself</u> was not baptizing, but his disciples were.** (John 4:2)
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* <u>It was not Jesus who</u> was baptizing, but his disciples were.
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1. Emphasize a certain person or thing by adding something to that word or putting another word with it. English uses the reflexive pronoun after the word it emphasizes.
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* **Now Jesus said this to test Philip, for he <u>himself</u> knew what he was going to do.** (John 6:6)
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1. Show that a person or thing was alone or 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 <u>by himself</u>.** (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 <u>alone</u> up the mountain.
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