African Journals Online
Acta Theologica

Supplementum 2, 2002
ABSTRACTS

A brief overview of Bible translation in South Africa

Hermanson, E.A.

Abstract: Christianity came to South Africa in 1652, but missionary outreach to the indigenous population only began in earnest in the 19th century. The first formal-equivalent Bible translations were done by missionaries in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th century. Since the mid-1960s the Bible Society has facilitated functional-equivalent translations by teams of mother-tongue translators, and is currently completing the Old Testament in Southern Ndebele, the only South African official language without a complete Bible. Advances in translation theory present new challenges in translating the Bible to communicate in the contemporary linguistic situation.

Problems in the theoretical foundation of the functional-equivalent approach

Jordaan, G.J.C.

Abstract: The functional-equivalent approach to Bible translation is based on a specific view of communication, viz. that it is a process which takes place within a closed cultural circle. This view of communication results in a view of the Bible as a time-bound (and not a time-directed) document which can communicate only in the closed circle of sender-message-first readers within their own socio-historical environment. Consequently it is seen as the task of the translator to make the Bible communicate to modern man via a process of transformation of the Biblical message. This transformation is conducted in a manner which corresponds with the idea that textual form and message can be separated. For Christians who view the Bible as God's Word which is time-directed but not time-bound, and at the same time God's Word which communicates with believers of all time, these theoretical viewpoints of the functional- equivalent approach are problematic.

No culture shock? Addressing the Achilles heel of modern Bible translations

Joubert, S.J.

Abstract: Modern Bible translations are often more sensitive to the needs of their intended readers than to the right of biblical texts to be heard on their own terms as religious artefacts from the ancient Mediterranean world. Since all biblical documents linguistically embody socio-religious meanings derived from ancient Mediterranean societies, they also need to be experienced as different, even alien, by modern readers. Without an initial culture shock in encountering a Bible translation modern people are held prisoners by Western translations of the Bible. Therefore, translations should instil a new sensitivity among modern readers to the socio-cultural distance between them and the original contexts of the Bible. In order to help facilitate this historical awareness, a new generation of "value added" translations must, in creative and responsible ways, begin to provide a minimum amount of cultural information to assist modern readers in assigning legitimate meanings to the linguistic signs encapsulated on the pages of the Bible.

An overview of recent developments in translation studies with special reference to the implications for Bible translation

Naude, J.A.

Abstract: An overview of recent developments of the discipline which deals with the activity of translation, as well as the implications for Bible translation, is presented. Starting off with a discussion of the disciplinary nature of translation studies, an overview of some developments emphasising the source text, the process of translation, the reception of the translated text, and the cultural-social bound character of translation, is offered. Since the early eighties there has been a tendency within translation studies to move away from the normative and prescriptive approaches to translation and to adopt a descriptive approach towards the study of translated literature. Descriptive translation theorists attempt to account not only for textual strategies in the translated text, but also for the way in which the translation functions in the target cultural system. The implications that these recent theoretical developments have for Bible translation practice and criticism of Bible translations are arrived at in the last instance.

Corpus-based translation research: its development and implications for general, literary and Bible translation

Kruger, A.

Abstract: Corpus-based translation research emerged in the late 1990s as a new area of research in the discipline of translation studies. It is informed by a specific area of linguistics known as corpus linguistics which involves the analysis of large corpora of authentic running text by means of computer software. Within linguistics, this methodology has revolutionised lexicographic practices and methods of language teaching. In translation studies this kind of research involves using computerised corpora to study translated text, not in terms of its equivalence to source texts, but as a valid object of study in its own right. Corpus-based research in translation is concerned with revealing both the universal and the specific features of translation, through the interplay of theoretical constructs and hypotheses, variety of data, novel descriptive categories and a rigorous, flexible methodology, which can be applied to inductive and deductive research, as well as product- and process-oriented studies. In this article an overview is given of the research that has led to the formation of a new subdiscipline in translation studies, called Corpus-based Translation Studies or CTS. I also demonstrate how CTS tools and techniques can be used for the analysis of general and literary translations and therefore also for Bible translations.

Translation as secondary communication. The relevance theory perspective of Ernst-August Gutt

Smith, K.

Abstract: Ernst-August Gutt started one of the greatest translation debates of the past ten years when he suggested that relevance theory holds the key to providing a unified account of translation. The bulk of the debate has been between practitioners of functional equivalence and advocates of a relevance theoretic approach to translation. However, opponents of the relevance theoretic approach have widely misunderstood Gutt's claims and objectives, with the result that too much discussion has focused on minor points of his account of translation. This article will attempt to clarify his objectives and claims, and to clear up some common misunderstandings about the implications of embracing a relevance theoretic approach to translation.

Some considerations on Bible translation as complex process

Van der Watt, J.G.; Kruger, Y.

Abstract: It is argued that translation is a complex process: meaning is "created" by decoding the source text on several levels (for instance, grammatical; structural; literary; and socio-cultural levels). This "meaning" must then be encoded into the target language by means of the linguistic, literary, and cultural conventions of the target language. These different aspects (grammar, structure, etc.) combine in an interactive process and result in meaning. Atomisation or compartmentalisation of the various aspects distorts communication. It is also argued that it should be assumed that what can be said in one language can be said in (translated into) another language, but not necessarily by combining the relevant linguistic, literary and cultural aspects in the target language in the same way as they were combined in the source language. This is because languages do not overlap in their use of words, structures, genres, and social conventions. This inevitably leads to the realisation that a translation could and would never be an exact "copy" of the original.

A new framework for Bible translation

Wilt, T.

Abstract: Since the time in which Nida and Taber published The theory and practice of translation, there have been dramatic changes in the communication situations of Bible translation throughout the world. Further, advances in a variety of academic disciplines have enabled us to recognise and move beyond shortcomings of that work's portrayal of language, communication and translation. A recent project by the United Bible Societies has attempted to provide a more contemporary framework for understanding Bible translation. This paper focuses on the communication model developed for this project. Avoiding the fallacy of the conduit metaphor of communication, it explicitly refers to the goals of the participants in a communication situation and the organisational as well as sociocultural frames within which texts are produced and perceived. The framework suggested by this model encourages viewing translation as a process involving churches, communities and publishers as well as translators and choosing a particular translation approach in terms of mutually agreed upon goals. The Bible translation process may involve not just producing a text to represent the sacred text, but also supplementary texts to enhance understanding and appreciation of both the translation and the translated.

Towards a "literary" translation of the Scriptures: with special reference to a "poetic" rendition

Wendland, E.R.

Abstract: This study proposes a more dynamic, or "mediated, " approach to Bible translation as one possible option (among many), should this be called for by the contextual circumstances of the target language setting. Such a method features a genre-based, functional application of interlingual discourse analysis and representation that aims to reproduce the literary (especially the "poetic") quality and energy of the original text (certain aspects of its structure, style, impact, and appeal) within a new linguistic and sociocultural environment. The importance of this local milieu requires the active participation of the target language community during the formulation and execution of an appropriate translation brief, or planning document, including the project's principal communicative purpose (skopos). Another important variable to be examined is the primary channel of textual representation. Here, the oral-aural mode is emphasised due to its particular relevance in Africa. My presentation concludes with an overview of some of the critical cost-versus-gain factors that need to be considered when planning for the production of a literary version.

Bible translation in Africa. What implications does the new UBS perspective have for Africa? An overview in the light of the emerging new UBS translation initiative

Mojola, A.O.

Abstract: This article gives a brief overview of the present Bible translation situation in Africa in global and historical perspective. Special focus is given to the shifts that have occurred with respect to its vision and mission and its ever widening outreach in pursuit of the Christian great commission. Shifts in the nature and types of Bible translators at different periods are looked at as well as the question of the source and receptor texts involved in the translation. The question of the various approaches to translation that have been influential receives attention with special attention being given to the dynamic- and functional-equivalent approach popularised by Eugene Nida. The rest of the paper dwells on the way forward for Bible translation in Africa in view of the influence of the past and in view of the influence of the new approaches and insights from the emerging academic field of translation studies. The recent shift in the UBS approach to translation is briefly and broadly looked at and its implication for Bible translation in Africa discussed.

Functional equivalence and the new Dutch translation project

De Blois, K.F.Mewe, T.

Abstract: In this article De Blois and Mewe demonstrate how functional-equivalent principles had been originally defined with regard to the Netherlands Bible Society's Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling (New Bible Translation) and had to be redefined in light of the need for a better theoretical model. The model, outlined in the article, also served as a handle to avoid ambiguity and inconsistency in the way principles were interpreted and / or implemented, and created a framework for responding to needs expressed by the target audience.

An overview of recent developments in the description of Biblical Hebrew relevant to Bible translation

Van der Merwe, C.H.J.

Abstract: Describing the system of an ancient language like Biblical Hebrew is an enormous challenge. Biblical Hebrew scholars through the years concentrated on the formal features of limited data at their disposal. However, a new paradigm in the study of language has provided a fresh perspective on aspects of language that was up till now either not fully appreciated, misunderstood or not even noticed. Improved models of what people do with language, and which include the social, cognitive and cultural aspects of language, now provide explanations for linguistic expressions that translators up till now believed they may or should leave untranslated. These models, among other things, have shown that texts are more than strings of clauses, each with their own propositional content. There are a variety of linguistic signs that have no referential meaning or syntactic function, but act as overt navigation signals for the way in which the information is supposed to be processed. These signals do not only invoke a relationship between the clauses, or clusters of clauses, contained in a text, but may also involve the entire cognitive worlds of all the participants of the communicative situation. These developments may shed new light on the interpretation and translation of the Biblical text.

What happens when one picks up the Greek text?

Van der Watt, J.G.

Abstract: A few issues of hermeneutic nature related to Bible translation are considered. It is argued that the chosen philosophical framework (for instance, a modernist or postmodern approach) determines the way in which any process of translation is approached. Attention then shifts to some of the presuppositions and assumptions of literal translations. These presuppositions are discussed critically. Another factor determining the nature of a translation is the intended function of that particular translation. If, for instance, the intended function is to be understandable for ordinary, present-day readers, a meaning-orientated translation would be preferable. Lastly, the role of interpretation in the translation process is considered. The assumption that no interpretation takes place in the case of word-for word translations is critiqued.

Listening to the wind in the trees: meaning, interpretation and literary theory

Du Plooy, H.

Abstract: In this article the literary theories which dominated textual studies during the twentieth century are discussed briefly, indicating the philosophical roots of these theories. The article points out that whereas theories during the greater part of the twentieth century tended to encourage a more "open" approach to meaning and textuality, there are clear indications of a new awareness of textual constraints in the last decade. The point is made that interpreters and translators should be aware of the philosophical implications as well as of the textual constraints in the different forms of textual processing. In conclusion the responsibility of translators and interpreters of religious texts is emphasised.

The language ecology of a new Afrikaans Bible

Ponelis, F.

Abstract: Three sets of codes are germane to a current Afrikaans Bible translation: Dutch, English and varieties of Afrikaans, especially Standard Afrikaans. Dutch was established as a local language of culture in the Dutch era from 1652 to 1806. The sweeping transformation of Cape society by British colonial rule gave great impetus to Dutch as a local language of culture. On account of religious language conservatism, which considers an elevated and exclusive code important, the local Dutch church had a powerful vested interest in Dutch. The English linguistic and cultural tradition that penetrated the local Dutch-Afrikaans church in the nineteenth century had an increasing impact. The Afrikaans Bible is translated in Standard Afrikaans. Both the ideological connection of this code with Afrikaner nationalism and its marked divergence from varieties of colloquial Afrikaans are relevant to a new Afrikaans Bible translation.