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ASL translation
Jun. 15th, 2005 07:23 amAs part of my current American Sign Language class, we are all signing poems and songs. Unlike the prior classes that I've had that involved signing songs and stories, we are working purely in ASL, as opposed to signed English. A detailed explanation of what this really means is available at http://www.ltcconline.net/ASLLT/scmodes.htm. In a nutshell, it has to do with what grammar and vocabulary you use and how close it is to spoken English. (The most basic example is probably that ASL has no "to be" verbs, but it goes on from there.)
ASL is a conceptual language. The purpose of ASL is to convey the concept and screw the word order. However... we're working so purely in ASL that I question whether it still counts as a translation. I don't have adequate experience in the target language and with native speakers of the target language to know whether it does.
Analogies. We say "x is like y" or "x is y" (when it obviously isn't) to give a better description of x. Does "x is like y" have its own merits? Does the meaning remain if you can convey the description of "x" without invoking the idea of "y"?
For an example, here's Habakkuk 3:19 (since I've been reading it lately anyway.) It isn't any of the examples being used in class.
"The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
Is the following an acceptable translation? (It's not a gloss of a potential translation -- I translated it into and out of ASL.)
"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make me quick and he will make me as holy as I can be. God inspires and controls me more than anything else."
It's the way I understand the passage. But I don't think it is Habakkuk -- I think Habakkuk needs the imagery to make sense. Other people could translate Habakkuk in a number of different ways. How about...
"The Lord God helps me, and he will help me avoid trouble and he will guide me to reach my full potential. God is in charge of me."
I would argue that there is meaning in Habakkuk (or the documents I'm thinking of, which I haven't cited specifically) that cannot be translated at that level. The image of the deer matters. The link between holiness and physical height matters.
Yet, the instructor is telling us to ditch the imagery of our poems and preserve the meaning as we perceive it.
It's her class; I'll do as she requests. But I'm not confident that her opinion is representative of the greater community.
ASL is a conceptual language. The purpose of ASL is to convey the concept and screw the word order. However... we're working so purely in ASL that I question whether it still counts as a translation. I don't have adequate experience in the target language and with native speakers of the target language to know whether it does.
Analogies. We say "x is like y" or "x is y" (when it obviously isn't) to give a better description of x. Does "x is like y" have its own merits? Does the meaning remain if you can convey the description of "x" without invoking the idea of "y"?
For an example, here's Habakkuk 3:19 (since I've been reading it lately anyway.) It isn't any of the examples being used in class.
"The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
Is the following an acceptable translation? (It's not a gloss of a potential translation -- I translated it into and out of ASL.)
"The Lord God is my strength, and he will make me quick and he will make me as holy as I can be. God inspires and controls me more than anything else."
It's the way I understand the passage. But I don't think it is Habakkuk -- I think Habakkuk needs the imagery to make sense. Other people could translate Habakkuk in a number of different ways. How about...
"The Lord God helps me, and he will help me avoid trouble and he will guide me to reach my full potential. God is in charge of me."
I would argue that there is meaning in Habakkuk (or the documents I'm thinking of, which I haven't cited specifically) that cannot be translated at that level. The image of the deer matters. The link between holiness and physical height matters.
Yet, the instructor is telling us to ditch the imagery of our poems and preserve the meaning as we perceive it.
It's her class; I'll do as she requests. But I'm not confident that her opinion is representative of the greater community.
