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Issue 64 (writing-background)

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Susan Quigley 2018-10-24 19:42:35 +00:00
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@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Background information can also be marked with words that tell the reader that t
* Languages have different ways of marking background information and storyline information.
* Translators need to know the order of the events in the Bible, which information is background information, and which is storyline information.
* Translators will need to translate the story in a way that marks the background information in a way that their own readers will understand the order of events, which information is background information, and which is storyline information.
* Translators need to translate the story in a way that their own readers will understand the order of events, which information is background information, and which is storyline information.
### Examples from the Bible
@ -38,31 +38,38 @@ Background information can also be marked with words that tell the reader that t
The first sentence tells about two events. Hagar gave birth and Abraham named his son. The second sentence is background information about how old Abram was when those things happened.
>Now Jesus himself, when he began to teach, <u>was about thirty years of age</u>. He <u>was the son</u> (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli. (Luke 3:23 ULB)
><u>Now</u> Jesus himself, when he began to teach, <u>was about thirty years of age</u>. He <u>was the son</u> (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli. (Luke 3:23 ULB)
The verses before this tell about when Jesus was baptized. This sentence introduces background information about Jesus' age and ancestors. The story starts up again in chapter 4 where it tells about Jesus going to the wilderness.
The verses before Luke 3:23 tell about when Jesus was baptized. English uses the word "Now" to show that there is some kind of change in the kind of information being given. These sentences give background information about Jesus' age and ancestors. The story starts up again in chapter 4 where it tells about Jesus going to the wilderness.
>Now <u>it happened on a Sabbath</u> that Jesus <u>was going through the grain fields</u> and his disciples <u>were picking the heads of grain</u>, rubbing them between their hands, and eating the grain. But some of the Pharisees said... (Luke 6:1-2a ULB)
>Now <u>it happened on a Sabbath</u> that Jesus <u>was going through the grain fields</u> and his disciples <u>were picking the heads of grain</u>, rubbing them between their hands, and eating the grain. But some of the Pharisees said ... (Luke 6:1-2a ULB)
These verses give the setting of the story. The events took place in a grain field on the Sabbath day. Jesus, his disciples, and some Pharisees were there, and Jesus' disciples were picking heads of grain and eating them. The main action in the story starts with the sentence, "But some of the Pharisees said."
>Now Deborah, a prophetess <u>(the wife of Lappidoth)</u>, <u>was</u> a leading judge in Israel at that time. She <u>used to sit</u> under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came to her to settle their disputes. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. (Judges 4:4-6 ULB)
In English, the parentheses and the verbs "was" and "used to" are clues that the first two sentences are background information.
>With many other exhortations also, he preached good news to the people. John also rebuked Herod the tetrarch <u>for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias, and for all the other evil things that Herod had done</u>. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison. (Luke 3:18-20 ULB)
John rebuked Herod for things Herod had already done. Also the verb "had" in "had done" shows that Herod did those things before John rebuked him.
### Translation Strategies
To keep translations clear and natural you will need to study how people tell stories in your language. Observe how your language marks background information. You may need to write down some stories in order to study this. Observe what kind of verbs your language uses for background information and what kinds of words or other markers signal that something is background information. Do these same things when you translate, so that your translation is clear and natural and people can understand it easily.
To keep translations clear and natural you will need to study how people tell stories in your language. Observe how your language distinguishes background information from storyline information. You may need to write down some stories in order to study this. Observe what kind of verbs, words, and other markers are used to show what distinguish these two kinds of information. Do these same things when you translate, so that your translation is clear and natural and people can understand it easily.
1. Use your language's way of showing that certain information is background information.
1. Use your language's way of showing that certain information is background information or storyline information.
1. Reorder the information so that earlier events are mentioned first. (This is not always possible when the background information is very long.)
### Examples of Translation Strategies Applied
1. Use your language's way of showing that certain information is background information. The examples below explain how this was done in the ULB English translations.
* **<u>Now</u> Jesus himself, when he began to teach, <u>was</u> about thirty years of age. He <u>was</u> the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli.** (Luke 3:23 ULB) English uses the word "now" to show that there is some kind of change in the story. The verb "was" shows that it is background information.
1. Use your language's way of showing that certain information is either background information or storyline information.
* **With many other exhortations also, he preached good news to the people. John also rebuked Herod the tetrarch <u>for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias</u>, and <u>for all the other evil things that Herod had done</u>. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison.** (Luke 3:18-20 ULB) The underlined phrases happened before John rebuked Herod. In English, the helping verb "had" in "had done" shows that Herod did those things before John rebuked him.
* **Now Deborah, a prophetess (the wife of Lappidoth), was a leading judge in Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came to her to settle their disputes. She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali.** (Judges 4:4-6 ULB)
* Now Deborah, a prophetess (the wife of Lappidoth), was a leading judge in Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel <u>would come</u> to her to settle their disputes. <u>One day</u> she sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali. (In English, the verb "would" in "would come" shows that this is background information about something that the people did many times. The phrase "One day" shows that the last sentence has storyline information.)
1. Reorder the information so that earlier events are mentioned first. (This is not always possible when the background information is very long.)
* **Hagar gave birth to Abram's son, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. <u>Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram</u>.** (Genesis 16:16 ULB)
* <u>When Abram was eighty-six years old</u>, Hagar gave birth to his son, and Abram named his son Ishmael.
* **John also rebuked Herod the tetrarch <u>for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias</u>, and <u>for all the other evil things that Herod had done</u>. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison.** (Luke 3:18-20) The translation below reorders John's rebuke and Herod's actions.
* Now Herod the tetrarch married his brother's wife, Herodias, and he did many other evil things, so John rebuked him. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison.
* **Hagar gave birth to Abram's son, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. <u>Abram was eighty-six years old</u> when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.** (Genesis 16:16 ULB)
* <u>When Abram was eighty-six years old</u>, Hagar gave birth to his son, and Abram named him Ishmael.
* **John also rebuked Herod the tetrarch <u>for marrying his brother's wife, Herodias, and for all the other evil things that Herod had done</u>. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison.** (Luke 3:18-20)
* Now Herod the tetrarch married his brother's wife, Herodias, and he did many other evil things, so John rebuked him. But then Herod did another very evil thing. He had John locked up in prison.