Hwang, Jerry2023-03-232023-03-2320200009-4668http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/4277563In his 1934 overview of Chinese Bible versions, Marshall Broomhall observed that the translators of the Chinese Union Version (CUV) into Mandarin surprisingly found Wenli easier to work with than vernacular Mandarin. Their struggle in using Mandarin is belied by the fact that the Mandarin CUV produced by the translators is a work of literary beauty which Chinese Christians still esteem today. However, it also means that its linguistic limitations in using Mandarin have remained an under-examined area of research. Thus, this article explores the CUV’s translation methodology at the intersection of semantics and pragmatics, particularly in its renderings of irony, sarcasm, and rebuke - three communicative devices which require consideration of both semantic and pragmatic elements to understand correctly.engChristian Study Centre on Chinese Religion and Culture, Chung Chi College, Shatin, Hong KongChinaChristian ethicsBible . Versions, ChineseNative languageLinguisticsSemanticsPragmaticsTranslating and interpreting -- MethodologyAsian theologiesArticle