Translation Strategies for Conditionals in Kabwa and Simbiti

Abstract

In the Kabwa and Simbiti New Testaments, the translators have chosen to translate conditional constructions using a combination of various conjunctions, tense-aspect affixes, or both. Although Kabwa and Simbiti are very similar languages, the translation style used by the Simbiti translators often differs significantly from that used by the Kabwa translators, especially when the protasis is factual or non-factual – Simbiti translators preferred to make this interpretation explicit. This paper compares conditionals in Kabwa and Simbiti from a descriptive linguistic perspective, presenting several ways of translating conditionals, including some alternative non-conditional options. Such methods may be helpful for languages where it is not possible or desirable to use a conditional construction.