A rhetorical question is a question that a speaker uses for some purpose other than getting information. Some uses of rhetorical questions are to express strong emotions, to rebuke or scold someone, to introduce a topic to talk about it, or to teach something by reminding people of something they know and encouraging them to apply it to something new.
Jezebel used the question above to remind King Ahab that he still ruled the kingdom of Israel. The rhetorical question made her point more strongly than if she had merely stated it, because it forced Ahab to admit the point himself. She did this in order to rebuke him for being unwilling to take over a poor man's property. She was implying that since he was the king of Israel, he had the power to take the man's property.
God used the question above to remind his people of something they already knew: a young woman would never forget her jewelry and a bride would never forget her sash. He then rebuked his people for forgetting him, who is so much greater than those things.
><u>What is the kingdom of God like, and what can I compare it to?</u> It is like a mustard seed that a man took and threw into his garden ... (Luke 13:18-19 ULB)
Jesus used the question above to remind the people of something they already knew: a good father would never give his son something bad to eat. By introducing this point, Jesus could go on to teach them about God with his next rhetorical question:
>Therefore, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him? (Matthew 7:11 ULB)
In order to translate a rhetorical question accurately, first be sure that the question you are translating truly is a rhetorical question and is not an information question. Ask yourself, "Does the person asking the question already know the answer to the question?" If so, it is a rhetorical question. Or, if no one answers the question, is the one who asked it bothered that he did not get an answer? If not, it is a rhetorical question.
When you are sure that the question is rhetorical, then be sure that you know what the purpose of the rhetorical question is. Is it to encourage or rebuke or shame the hearer? Is it to bring up a new topic? Is it to do something else?
When you know the purpose of the rhetorical question, then think of the most natural way to express that purpose in the target language. It might be as a question, or a statement, or an exclamation.
See in Reader
