Course content

The Bible Translation Basics 2 module builds on the module Bible Translation Basics 1 and reinforces what was taught in the first course. It does so in the following areas:

• filling out (genitives, passives, rhetorical questions, referential assignment, abstract nouns [that are really verbs])
• more practice in filling communication charts to capture communicated ideas and contextual information
• more on connectors and other procedural information
• drafting translation of two NT passages (both with an “easy-to-understand approach” and  a “close-meaning resemblance approach” with special emphasis on creating extra-textual helps to provide sufficient contextual information)
• more on working with churches (reviewing + testing)

In addition to these, BTB 2 expands and adds to what was taught in BTB 1 in the following areas:

• dealing with conceptual and contextual mismatches in key terms via having the students analyze the traditional view of the spirit world in their culture and to match these insights with choices of biblical key terms for God, Holy Spirit, angels, demons etc.) [this is an entire sub-module of 6 units]
• communicative clues [including participant reference]
• reported speech
• poetic effects beyond metaphor
• argumentation structure (raising audience’s expectations)
• evaluation of translated material (by comparing their own translations produced with two different approaches and by checking each other’s back translations)
• working as translation team (team dynamics)
• translation programs (Paratext + TW, in conjunction with the translation of the two major passages [?])
• more bible background (UBS DVDs on Bible Lands as Classroom and IMM DVD on the Parables of Jesus, mainly in the evenings)

Course Outcomes (Objectives)

As outcomes of this module, students will

• demonstrate that they have gained further competence in how to translate biblical material using two approaches (“easy-to-understand” and “high-meaning resemblance”)
• demonstrate that they are able to evaluate translations
• be more able to fill out communication charts to correctly capture communicated ideas and contextual information of biblical texts in preparation for translation
• have gained deeper understanding and appreciation for the importance of biblical background and how this leads to providing relevant contextual information to their target audiences in translation
• have studied the spirit world in their own (traditional) culture and have started to apply this knowledge to the choices they need to make regarding biblical key terms
• have further studied communicative clues in general and in biblical texts and have begun to compare these with communicative clues in their own languages
• have developed a better understanding of how to work as a translation team
• have developed a better understanding of how to work with churches (particularly in the areas of reviewing and testing translation)
• have begun to use Translator’s Workplace W + Paratext