[B-Greek] Mk 8:12 - ... EI DOQH'SETAI...

Vasile STANCU stancu at mail.dnttm.ro
Tue Feb 12 08:14:13 EST 2008


ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, εἰ δοθήσεται τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ σημεῖον (Mk 8:12)
AMH'N LE'GW hUMI~N, EI DOQH'SETAI THi~ GENEAi~ TAU'THi~ SHMEI~ON. ( (Mk 8:12))

What would be the mechanism of a translator's mind when reflecting a group of Greek words possibly/forcibly rendered by the English, "Truely I tell you, if a sign is given to this generation" by, for instance, "Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation". (I believe most of the translations would be, to some extent, similar to this one). I am stressing especially the Greek εἰ (EI) turned by the translator into the English negative.

My question is, more or less, rethorical - and I have my own understanding of this -, but I would like to know how/whether such a construction could be placed into a rigorous pattern with which one could operate when encountering other situations like this.

Vasile STANCU



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