Cultural Challenges in Translation

The Chairo* are a Buddhist tribe living in Asia, but with a minority that practices Christianity. One interesting problem that has attracted multiple rounds of discussion is translating the word “wine.” The use of wine has a long history in Israel and retains its significance in traditional and religious contexts even to this day. The biblical stance on alcohol consumption has been a topic of debate, as some argue that the Bible condemns its use totally while others assert that it condones moderate consumption. There is also disagreement on whether the wine mentioned in the Bible refers to non-alcoholic grape juice or has an alcohol content.

Wine was made from grapes, figs, dates, and pomegranates. People often consumed it as part of daily meals, in festivals, and at weddings; they gave it as gifts or offerings; and they used it as a symbol of blessing or for medicinal purposes. The Hebrew words designating wine: yayin, sekar, tiros, asis, hemer, sobe. Robert P. Teachout’s 1980 thesis (“The Use of ‘Wine’ in the Old Testament”) found that a harmonistic approach to the exegesis of the respective passages, supported by etymology, required the conclusion that several keywords refer to both (unfermented) grape juice and (fermented) wine.

Whether or not Jesus made wine in Cana of Galilee and what he drank, or whether the Bible condemns or condones drinking it are not the point of this article. Instead, this article highlights the translation difficulties associated with the word “wine,” which is often associated with the intoxicating drinks in the Chairo culture. How can the translation team find a satisfying solution, especially considering cultural objections, and yet faithfully translate the text?

Their Buddhist neighbors hold high moral standards and do not consume alcohol, so associating wine or alcohol with Jesus or his followers could create a wrong impression and hinder missionary activities. So, finding an acceptable word for wine was very challenging. The Chairo translation committee believes Christians should hold higher moral standards than their unbelieving neighbors. Therefore, they wanted to use a socially acceptable word that would not offend any group, either believers or unbelievers. The Chairo language has three words related to wine: angguror ros (fresh grape juice), mot (a general term for strong alcoholic drinks, made from various fruits or grains), and angguror mot (a coined term that refers to grape wine).

So, after multiple rounds of discussion, the final decision was to use mot or angguror mot when the text is talking about drunkenness and to use angguror ros in other places (similar to what is in the New Testament). We also inserted a footnote for the latter term, mentioning it contains low alcohol, but that heavy consumption can make a person drunk. In addition, a glossary entry was created to explain its cultural and religious significances.

Throughout the lifespan of a project, the translation team encounters various translation challenges, one of which includes cultural appropriateness. This issue requires careful handling to ensure that the translation is acceptable to the target group and yet accurate. The team needs wisdom and guidance from the divine Author, the Holy Spirit, to carry out the entrusted task for His glory.