Chris on Nostr: In most texts there are multiple features that coalesce to communicate the author's ...

In most texts there are multiple features that coalesce to communicate the author's point. In translation it is not always possible to clearly convey all of these features (homonyms & rhyme are simple examples); as long as the author's point is well established, not every feature needs to be explained in translation. For example, if I was translating an American diplomat's speech and he used the figurative expression "it's raining cats and dogs," I could not simply translate that word for word into Russian without completely miscommunicating that speaker's intent. I would have to simplify the thought, substitute a different figure of speech, or embark on an extended explanation of what the expression means to English speakers. In the case of John 3, if you feel some critical point of the author will be missed without handling the homonym, a parenthetical comment or footnote would probably be the least disruptive approach.