{"title":"Metaphor and Methodology for Cross-Cultural Investigation of Hebrew Emotions","authors":"Phil King","doi":"10.54395/jot-jckxc","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-jckxc","url":null,"abstract":"Feeling down or in a tight spot? How do we know what someone means when they tell us how they feel? How could we go further and explain how emotions are understood across cultures? This article looks at three approaches—the use of physiology, of key words, and of metaphors. This is followed by a demonstration of the insights from the metaphorical approach as applied to Anglo emotions. Applying this metaphorical approach to biblical Hebrew (where there is no access to native speakers) is much more difficult than to a living language. However, application of the Cognitive Linguistics of George Lakoff, Mark Johnson, Raymond Gibbs, John Taylor and others allows the construction of a methodology to give evidence for what emotions the Hebrew authors felt. This methodology is applied to Hebrew descriptions of distress to show how such emotions are conceptualised. The article also explains how this methodology can be applied more widely, to evaluate others’ claims about how the ancient Israelites thought and felt. Finally, some implications are given in the areas of Hebrew exegesis, cultural anthropology, and for the translation of “emotional” texts.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2012-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78225752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implicit Aspects of Culture in Source and Target Language Contexts","authors":"Thomas G. Matthews, Cathleen Rountree, S. Nicolle","doi":"10.54395/jot-phx4r","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-phx4r","url":null,"abstract":"In the context of Bible translation, the concept of implicit information has typically been constrained to cognitive information that was assumed to be known by the source language audience. In this article implicit information is expanded to include both source and target language contexts because the target audience also brings a wealth of information to the translation and interpretation of target language Scriptures. In addition, a prototypical model of culture is applied to more comprehensively explicate both surface and deep structural aspects of culture, i.e., knowledge, practices, beliefs, values, worldview, and image schema, that were either assumed by the original authors for their audience or are encountered in the interpretation by the target audience. A survey of “offline” author intrusive comments, mostly in the Gospels, suggests that the authors carefully gauged the cultural background of their audience, making explicit, as they deemed necessary, components of cultural knowledge, practices, beliefs and values. A selection of Bible translation issues from East African teams demonstrates that the target audience brings a rich cultural context to the target language Scriptures extending from surface cultural practices to deep structural components of worldview and image schema. The topic of implicit information is further investigated by comparing the perspective of two translation models, meaning-based translation practice and Relevance Theory. The somewhat overlapping technical vocabulary of explicatures and implicatures are contrasted including a comparative analysis of a biblical text. An attempt is made to broaden the scope of both models from cognitive processing of information to a more defendable incorporation of culture and its deep structure. For meaning-based translation practice, the concept of meaning should access the cultural deep structure underlying the source and target languages, which impact it. For Relevance Theory this means a consideration of inferences that are non-propositional—where cultural deep structure markedly influences cognitive effects. New definitions of explicatures and implicatures are proposed that incorporate surface to deep aspects of culture. Applications to translation training and practice are anticipated.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"71 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73878820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Overliteralness and Mother-Tongue Translators","authors":"M. Cahill, K. Benn","doi":"10.54395/jot-4y8m4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-4y8m4","url":null,"abstract":"One barrier to quality in Bible translation is a tendency for translators to translate literally from their primary source text. This is a hazard for any translator, but has particular relevance in the case of Mother-Tongue Translators (MTTs) with minimal training, who are bearing an increasingly larger role in new Bible translations around the globe. In this article, we first examine the problem of overliteralness, observing cases of RL structural adherence to the SL in direct speech, ungrammatical sentences, mistranslation of rhetorical questions, use of idioms, and neglect of discourse factors, etc. The problem of overliteralness extends to information and emotional impact implicit in the SL that is not made explicit in the RL. Reasons for overliteralness include the natural intuitiveness of translating literally, respect for the Word of God (they don’t want to change it), and MTTs’ unawareness of their own language patterns. Since translation consultants are not always familiar with the receptor language, these types of mistakes may escape notice in the checking process. Nonetheless, many MTTs do excellent translation work. We present two major factors that help MTTs avoid overliteralness. Through training and mentoring, they need to absorb the translation principle that gives them “permission” to not be literal. Next, deliberate study of structures of their own language is key, especially contrasting it with structures of the primary source language. Cases where these types of activities are already being done will be presented, and more are encouraged.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84744485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamic Equivalence and Its Daughters: Placing Bible Translation Theories in Their Historical Context","authors":"Glenn Kerr","doi":"10.54395/jot-8trtm","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-8trtm","url":null,"abstract":"The Bible translation theory called “dynamic equivalence” from the middle of the twentieth century was more than what may be called the first definable theory of Bible translation. Indirectly or directly, it spawned or related to seven other specific theories: meaning-based translation, cultural equivalence or transculturation, complete equivalence, optimal equivalence, closest natural equivalence, functional equivalence, and skopostheorie. Even the term formal equivalence originated during this time. Later in the same period, the code model of communication on which dynamic equivalence was based was challenged by the inference model of relevance theory. All this theoretical writing and postulating has been paralleled by or related to developments in the world of general translation theory and science. Oftentimes these theories have been studied in isolation; this paper, in contrast, examines those theories in their historical context, analyzing their core ideas and how they relate to each other. Concurrently we focus on who the originators of the theories are, and what Bible translation organizations have used them. The study concludes with a practical discussion of what knowing and using these theories might mean in the real world context of Bible translating.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2011-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87612941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Four Faces, Eight Places: Elaborate Expression, Emergent Meaning, and Translation as Discourse Art","authors":"M. Walrod, Jamin Pelkey, M. Walrod","doi":"10.54395/jot-6h5fe","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-6h5fe","url":null,"abstract":"This paper lights a torch at the dual flame of Paul Ricoeur‘s interaction theory of meaning and Northrop Frye‘s centripetal theory of meaning to shed light on the little discussed implications of \"four-syllable elaborate expressions\"—polyfunctional poetic phrases that frequently surface both in Chinese discourse and in various translations of the Chinese Bible. The term \"emergent text-level meaning\" (Walrod 2007) describes the gestalt semantics of a given text which, much like consciousness, cannot be reduced to the sum of its conventionally defined parts. Four-syllable elaborate expressions are common in the languages of East and Southeast Asia and involve aesthetically pleasing, often ancient, combinations of monosyllabic morpheme pairs that constitute microcosmic texts in themselves. For example, 四面八方 'four faces, eight places' is the Dangdai Yiben (Chinese Living Version) rendering of the Job 37:3 phrase, כַּנְפֹ֥ות הָאָָֽרֶץ or 'the wings of the earth', usually translated, \"the ends of the earth\" in English. Applying insights from the metaphor-oriented hermeneutics of Ricoeur (1981) and Frye (2006), we argue that four-syllable elaborate expressions illustrate some of the ways in which \"metaphor\" and \"text\" function interdependently. The meaning that emerges from this interaction of microcosm and macrocosm is itself dependent on an often overlooked factor: the successful integration of a poetic imagination conversant with the dynamics of language and thought in a given socio-geographical context—in this case, East Asia. Our conclusions have implications for philosophy of language and translation theory alike.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77319198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Baraka (as Divine Blessing) as a Bridge in Manding Languages (especially in Jula of Côte d’Ivoire)","authors":"Fritz Goerling","doi":"10.54395/jot-tyrwv","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-tyrwv","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the translation of the different contextual senses and functions of the biblical concept of \"blessing/to bless\" in six Bible translations and in a translation of the Qur‘an in closely related Manding languages (from Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Burkina-Faso). Most of the qur'anic terms chosen in these arabicized languages to render divine blessing are either inappropriate or inaccurate. They are presented here with the hope of helping other translators, especially those working among groups with significant borrowings from Islamic theological terminology, by sensitizing them to the issues involved. The concept of \"blessing\" can be a bridge for conveying the biblical message to Muslims in West Africa in a relevant way. In addition, \"blessing\" is a strategic term to share the Gospel with any target group, especially since any receptor audience in all likelihood has a materialistic concept of blessing.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86172961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Framing the Frames: A Theoretical Framework for the Cognitive Notion of “Frames of Reference”","authors":"E. Wendland, E. Wendland","doi":"10.54395/jot-ww9v6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-ww9v6","url":null,"abstract":"In this exposition I seek to provide a theoretical background to support the notion of \"frames of reference\" as used in contemporary Bible translation studies. I begin by presenting an overview of \"frames\" from the perspective of various linguistic and literary scholars as well as a number of experts in the field of communication technology. This leads to my own development of the frames approach through a specification into ten \"mini-frames\" that may be used in the analysis of biblical (and other) texts. I further elaborate this concept in the area of figurative language by means of the model proposed in mental space theory. My preliminary, more technical discussion is then exemplified with reference to an analysis of John the Baptist's call to \"Behold the Lamb of God!\" in John 1:29. Throughout this study, various applications to the theory and practice of Bible translation are made, including its organizational aspects as well as methods of subsequently communicating the translated texts of Scripture today.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81636471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Cultural Factor in Bible Translation Forty Years Later: A Personal Perspective from Zambia","authors":"E. Wendland","doi":"10.54395/jot-e4e29","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-e4e29","url":null,"abstract":"I was first made aware of the crucial cultural factor in Bible translation during a three-week TAPOT workshop led by Eugene Nida at Makerere University (Kampala, Uganda) in 1969. After benefitting then from five years of apprenticeship training under another one of the old masters, Jacob A. Loewen, my official United Bible Societies consultancy work in Zambia began on June 23, 1977. Ten years later I felt confident enough to put down some of my thoughts on the subject of The Cultural Factor in Bible Translation in the UBS Monograph (#2) title of that name. However, that book had a very narrow theoretical and contextual focus; it certainly did not deal with everything that needed to be said about “the cultural factor” as it relates to the production of a given Bible translation in a specific language and social setting. Older now, and hopefully somewhat wiser, in the present paper I revisit this topic from a much broader point of view. I therefore briefly explore the importance of the cultural factor when producing—that is, planning, organizing and managing, training staff for, composing, supplementing, evaluating and revising, publishing (in the wider sense), and promoting—a translation of the Scriptures today. It will be possible only to touch upon each of these essential aspects of the overall process in this article, which is further biased by my limited ethnic and experiential background. But I hope to raise some relevant issues and stimulate discussion by colleagues who work in a much different cultural environment within the translation fellowship.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"179 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88066404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of: A History of Bible Translation, Edited by Philip A. Noss","authors":"F. Boswell","doi":"10.54395/jot-c3nr9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-c3nr9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89518331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toward a Prototypical Model of Culture for Bible Translation","authors":"Tom Matthews","doi":"10.54395/jot-nxjwk","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.54395/jot-nxjwk","url":null,"abstract":"Bible translation is inherently a communication event originating in a historical language and culture. Recipients of translated Scriptures interpret this historical text through their language and cultural grid. They have cultural practices, material culture, beliefs, values, a worldview, image schemas, etc., that can assist or compromise their ability to properly understand the Bible. This work addresses the challenge to translators and translation consultants to more readily identify translation issues that are rooted in the target culture such that they may be further researched and treated as appropriate in the translation and helps. A prototypical model of culture is proposed to support these deliberations, which is comprised of a stratified network of observable cultural systems, beliefs, values, and deep structural components of worldview and image schemas. The cultural model is productively applied to a survey of translation issues rooted in the target cultures of several language teams in eastern Africa, and to three, in-depth analyses from Zinza and Digo Scriptures. The results suggest that Zinza prefer LINK and PATH image schemas over IN/OUT and FULL/EMPTY CONTAINER image schemas in metaphorical extensions such as “in Christ.” In addition, the Digo people’s limited knowledge of biblical construction practices, and the strong impact of the Lake Victoria ecosystem on Zinza culture, present translation challenges to the Digo New Testament and Zinza Genesis, respectively.","PeriodicalId":38669,"journal":{"name":"SKASE Journal of Translation and Interpretation","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2009-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87795664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}