Submitted to the OFASC Commission on Translation By Mitrophan Chin, 9/1/2011 5:59:10 AM
Use the Orthodox name as primary citation followed by the Protestant and Catholic abbreviation when they differ, separated by slash for convenience of Chinese Union Version (《和合本》Protestant) and Studium Biblicum Version (《思高版》Catholic) of the Bible cross referencing. When Chinese Protestant and Catholic abbreviation are identical, use one abbreviation to represent both Chinese Protestant and Catholic abbreviation. When Protestant and Catholic names are identical or subset of the Orthodox name, no abbreviation is needed.
As there is no modern Chinese translation of the Orthodox Bible, the provisional Chinese text to quote from should be taken from the Shangdi edition of the Chinese Union Version (CUV). As it was first published in 1919, the text is now in public domain. Since the CUV contains no apocrypha, Deuterocanonical quotes can be taken from the public domain text at http://orthodox.cn/bible/gap/index.html This provides the most flexibility for revising and publishing efforts without copyright infringement, unlike the Chinese Catholic Bible which is still under copyright and requires securing written permission of Studium Biblicum Franciscanum if any modifications are required for contemporary Orthodox readership such as changing references to God from Tianzhu (天主) to Shangdi (上帝) prior to publication.
The quoted text should be revised as needed to conform to the Orthodox lectionary and scriptural tradition, i.e. Greek Septuagint (LXX) for the Old Testament and Byzantine Majority text for the New Testament. Existing classical Chinese translation of Orthodox scriptural text such as those at http://orthodox.cn/bible/ or scripture quoted in liturgical texts such as those at http://orthodox.cn/liturgical/ should be consulted as a resource when producing a modern Chinese translation of the Orthodox Bible or portions therein.
Proper names found in the quoted text should be checked for internal consistency with proper names as used in rest of the Chinese work in which the quote is found. Proper names should follow those that appear in the Chinese Orthodox calendar at http://orthodox.cn/calendar/2008/ where available, with the Chinese Protestant/Catholic names footnoted or placed in parenthesis when first appeared in a Chinese work. A proper names lexicon is currently in progress at http://orthodox.cn/lexicon/propernames.xls which can be revised by sending changes to Mitrophan @ orthodox.cn to merge into the spreadsheet.
As for Old Testament citation, reference both the LXX and Hebrew (Massoretic) chapter and verse numbering, to familiarize our Chinese readers with LXX chapter and verse division and as a convenience to look up the verse in the Chinese Union Version. When chapter and/or verse division differs between the Orthodox and Protestant/Catholic Bible, place the chapter and verse according to the Orthodox next to the Orthodox name, and the chapter and verse according to the Protestant/Catholic Bible next to the Chinese Protestant/Catholic abbreviation. Chapter and verse should be separated by a colon. Use double-byte punctuation in the Chinese text.
If there are any ambiguity on chapter:verse numbering, go to http://unbound.biola.edu/ and select the following texts to be display all in parallel and enter the chapter:verse numbering based on the KJV:
English: King James Version [note: OT translated from Hebrew] English: Douay-Rheim [note: translated from the Latin Vulgate] Greek OT: LXX [note: academic edition of the Septuagint] or Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text Chinese Union (Simplified) [note: OT translated from Hebrew]
And then open another browser window and compare and see if the verse in the academic edition of the Greek OT above aligns with the same chapter and verse number in the Orthodox edition of the LXX at http://www.myriobiblos.gr/bible/ot/default.asp or http://www.apostoliki-diakonia.gr/bible/bible.asp?contents=old_testament/contents.asp&main=OldTes
For example if we look at the Reflection section of March 18 Prologue reading, we edit the Psalm reference as below:
He is God of gods "that such is God, Our God forever and ever" (Psalm 47:13 LXX (48:14 KJV)),and God of God who gives us knowledge of Himself. He is the Fountain of Life "For with you is the Fountain of our life" (Psalm 35:10 (36:9)), flowing from the Father's Fountain of life. He is the River of God; "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God" (Psalm 45:5 (46:4)), "The river of God is full of water" (Psalm 64:10 (65:9)) Who comes forth from the infinity of God but is not separated from Him.
If we look at the original Serbian text, it actually reference Psalm 49:1 LXX instead of Psalm 47:13 LXX as in the English translation. The English translation also provides the scripture quotation in addition to the reference for benefit of the reader. When typesetting, the scripture quote and reference can be moved to the footnote, so the flow of the main text doesn't get interrupted by the actual quotations.
Овај - Бог богова (Пс. 49, 1) и од Бога Бог што се да узнати. Овај - извор живота (35, 10) од извора живота Очевог проистичући. Овај река Божја (45, 5; 64, 10) што исходи из бездне Божје но не одваја се.
If we do a search on Psalm 50:1 at unbound.biola.edu, we can see that the LXX phrase “God of gods” is actually in the Douay-Rheim translation, whereas the KJV has “mighty God”.
For more clarification, we can update the English text with the LXX reference to the phrase “God of gods” which only exist in the Greek and not the Hebrew text followed by the English translation that has that phrase in parenthesis:
He is God of gods “The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken” (Psalm 49:1 LXX (49:1 Douay-Rheim/50:1 KJV)),and God of gods who gives us knowledge of Himself. He is the Fountain of Life "For with you is the Fountain of our life" (Psalm 35:10 (36:9)), flowing from the Father's Fountain of life. He is the River of God; "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God" (Psalm 45:5 (46:4)), "The river of God is full of water" (Psalm 64:10 (65:9)) Who comes forth from the infinity of God but is not separated from Him.
Also, when the text reference a gospel, such as the "Gospel according to ________", make the Chinese text conform to the full gospel title 《圣福音依________所传者》as laid out at http://orthodox.cn/bible/canonlist_cn.htm which was published as an appendix to the hardcopy edition of the 2007 Chinese Orthodox Calendar. And where a chapter and/or verse reference appears in parenthesis, move it down as footnote as a scripture citation as outlined below.
The following table is the proposed Scriptural citation with Protestant/Catholic cross reference where helpful of all books found in the Orthodox biblical canon.
(Orthodox name/Prot Abbrev/Cath. Abbrev.) English Abbr. （正教会圣经旧约书目／基督教简称／天主教简称）英文简称 （起源之书／创） Gn （出离之书／出） Ex （勒维人之书／利／肋） Lv （民数之书／民／户） Nb （第二法典之书／申） Dt （纳维之子伊稣斯传／书／苏） Jos （众审判者传／士／民） Jg （如特传／得／卢） Rt （众王传一／撒上） 1S （众王传二／撒下） 2S （众王传三／列上） 1K （众王传四／列下） 2K （史书补遗一／历上／编上） 1Ch （史书补遗二／历下／编下） 2Ch （艾斯德拉纪一） 1Esd （艾斯德拉纪二／拉／厄上） Ezr （奈俄弥亚纪／尼／厄下） Ne （托维特传／多） Tb （虞狄特传／友） Jdt （艾斯提尔传／帖／艾） Est （玛喀维传一／加上） 1Mc （玛喀维传二／加下） 2Mc （玛喀维传三） 3Mc （圣咏／诗篇） Ps （约弗传／伯／约） Jb （索洛蒙箴言） Pr （训道篇／传） Qo/Ecl （歌中之歌／歌） Sg （索洛蒙的智慧书） Ws （希拉赫的智慧书／德） Si （奥西埃书／何／欧） Ho （阿摩斯书／摩／亚） Am （弥亥亚书／弥／米） Mi （约伊尔书／珥／岳） Jl （奥弗狄亚书／俄／北） Ob （约纳书／拿／纳） Jon （纳翁书／鸿） Na （盎瓦库穆书／哈） Hab （索佛尼亚书／番／索） Zp （盎盖书／该／盖） Hg （匝哈里亚书／亚／匝） Zc （玛拉希亚书／玛／拉） Ml （伊撒依亚书／赛／依） Is （耶热弥亚书／耶） Jr （瓦如赫书 ／巴） Ba （耶热弥亚之哀歌／哀） Lm （耶热弥亚之书信／巴6）Ep Jer/Ba 6 （耶则基伊尔书／结／则） Ezk （达尼伊尔书／但／达） Dn （玛喀维传四） 4Mc （玛特泰福音／太／玛） Mt （玛尔克福音／可／谷） Mk （路喀福音／路加） Lk （约安福音／约／若） Jn （使徒行实／徒／宗） Ac （致罗马人书） Rm （致科林托人书一／林前／格前） 1Co （致科林托人书二／林后／格后） 2Co （致噶拉塔人书／加／迦） Ga （致艾弗所人书／弗） Ep （致斐利彼人书／腓／斐） Ph （致科罗西人书／西／哥） Col （致德撒洛尼基人书一／帖前／得前） 1Th （致德撒洛尼基人书二／帖后／得后） 2Th （致提摩泰书一／提前／弟前） 1Tm （致提摩泰书二／提后／弟后） 2Tm （致提托书／多／铎） Tt （致斐利蒙书／门／费） Phm （致希伯来人书） Heb （雅科弗书信／雅） Jm （裴特若书信一／彼前／伯前） 1P （裴特若书信二／彼后／伯后） 2P （约安书信一／约壹／若一） 1Jn （约安书信二／约贰／若二） 2Jn （约安书信三／约叁／若三） 3Jn （儒达书信／犹） Jude （约安之启示录／默） Rv