shénshèng lìliang ((shén·shèng godly · holy 神圣 神聖) (lì·liang force · quantity 力量) → [holy spirit]) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”
Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), entitled “Features of This Revision”, discusses vocabulary changes that have been made in the current revision, words that have been translated differently than before. As noted in various entries in the excellent resource Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE), Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) correspondingly discusses words that have been translated differently in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible, compared to how they had been translated before.
Since we base what we say in Jehovah’s service on his Word the Bible, the vocabulary used in it—and the way those vocabulary words are translated—should be reflected in how we speak in our ministry, at our meetings, etc. So, it is beneficial for us Mandarin field language-learners to be familiar with the latest thinking from the organization on how Bible terms should be translated into Mandarin.
A Force, Not a Person
For a long time, going back to when we only had the old Héhé Běn ((Hé·hé Harmonious · {Closed → [United]} 和合) (Běn {Root or Stem} → [Edition] 本) → [Union Version (Chinese Bible)]) Chinese Bible to use (the Mandarin New World Translation began to be available starting in about 1995), we in the Mandarin field had been using “shènglíng (shèng·líng holy · spirit 圣灵 聖靈)” or perhaps “Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · God → [God] 上帝) de (’s 的) líng (spirit 灵 靈/霛)” to refer to the holy spirit. However, when the nwt version of the Mandarin New World Translation Bible came out recently, it was soon noticed that it instead uses this week’s MEotW, “shénshèng lìliang ((shén·shèng godly · holy 神圣 神聖) (lì·liang force · quantity 力量) → [holy spirit])”, to refer to the holy spirit.
Why was this change made? Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwtsty) explains that in Mandarin, when the word “líng (spirit 灵 靈/霛)” is used as a noun, it generally means a spirit person. Of course, we know that the holy spirit is actually the invisible active force that God uses to accomplish his will. However, since a “xiélíng (xié·líng evil; wicked · spirit [→ [demon]] 邪灵 邪靈)” is a wicked spirit person, new readers may then erroneously assume that “shènglíng (shèng·líng holy · spirit 圣灵 聖靈)” correspondingly refers to a holy spirit person, or to a person in the so-called Holy Trinity. So, to avoid such potential misunderstandings, the current version of the Mandarin NWT Bible uses “shénshèng lìliang ((shén·shèng godly · holy 神圣 神聖) (lì·liang force · quantity 力量) → [holy spirit])” instead of “shènglíng (shèng·líng holy · spirit 圣灵 聖靈)” or “Shàngdì (Shàng·dì Above’s · God → [God] 上帝) de (’s 的) líng (spirit 灵 靈/霛)”, etc. to refer to the holy spirit.—Chū’āijíjì (Chū’·āijí·jì {Going Out from} · Egypt · Record → [Exodus] 出埃及记 出埃及記) 31:3; Shǐtú Xíngzhuàn ((Shǐ·tú Sent · Disciples’ → [Apostles’] 使徒) (Xíng·zhuàn Doings · Biography 行传 行傳) → [Acts]) 2:17.
