Performance Criticism: An Emerging Methodology in Second Testament Studies—Part I

Rhoads, David M.

doi:10.1177/014610790603600304

Cited by 28 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(6 reference statements)

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“…Secondly, Performance Criticism (e.g. Rhoads 2006) promotes the incorporation of performance features as part of the communicated message. This makes the contents of the message far more engaging and memorable.…”

Section: Helpful Theories In Developing a Suitable Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Translating psalms for Africa today: Involving the community and transmitting through performance

Dickie

2021

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

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Psalms, being poems, need to be translated as poems using the poetic features of the receptor language. Official translators are not always poetically sensitive, but many community members are highly skilled word-artists, keen to participate in the translation process. Further, poems are always performed before an audience, and thus translated psalms need to include performance features as part of the translation. These two aspects of translating psalms offer advantageous possibilities for those translating biblical poetry. The notion of community involvement challenges the idea of ‘authority resting with the trained translators or consultant’, but the Skopos Theory reminds us that there can be many translations of a psalm, serving different purposes. This article describes the results of an empirical study including Zulu youth (interested in poetry and music) in the translation of some praise psalms. The idea of interpreting and communicating psalms as oral performances was also tested by presenting the translations as performances before an audience. Four Zulu youth groups participated in the study, each spending five days learning the principles of translation, poetic devices (in Hebrew and isiZulu), features of local music and oral communication style. They studied, translated and presented through oral performance three praise psalms before an audience of adults and peers. The isiZulu translations were evaluated primarily using Wendland’s criteria for a literary-rhetorical translation (viz. artistry, aurality and acceptability), but attention was also given to the traditional criteria of faithfulness to the Hebrew, naturalness and clarity. Many of the translations showed creativity balanced with accuracy and gave insights into the exegesis of the psalms. They also used traditional rhythm and features of local poetry and music, and engaged the audience using aspects of performance art. The study highlighted the opportunity available to a translator of psalms to engage local oral artists to participate in the process, either in a parallel project which can feed into the official project, or as a valuable means of Scripture Engagement. Being able to experience the translation process and present psalms in a way meaningful to the local culture has many advantages which need to be explored.Contribution: Engaging the local community in a significant way is key to the success of a translation project. Beyond simply being ‘reviewers’, this methodology offers opportunity for greater involvement in the translation of poetry. Further, using oral performance to present psalms actively, engages the community, resulting in far higher acceptability, memorability and perceived relevance.

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Section: Helpful Theories In Developing a Suitable Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Translating psalms for Africa today: Involving the community and transmitting through performance

Dickie

2021

In die Skriflig / In Luce Verbi

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“…Speaking, listening, gesturing, observing and memorising were the typical, even primary means of everyday communication, properly characterised by an oral 'register' of discourse consisting of associated traditions, memories, experiences, images, and the like (Hearon, 2006:6-15;Kelber, 2007;Rhoads, 2006a;2006b).…”

Section: Oral Poetics: Performance Criticismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigenous Oral History Reader

Schwartz

2022

mlj

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The oral history of Indigenous people in Canada has been recognized by mainstream legal systems in Canada over the past few decades as being of fundamental importance in court cases and negotiations with Indigenous peoples. As Indigenous peoples further exercise their right to self-government, they will continue drawing their oral traditions to define and develop their autonomous legal system. This anthology attempts to collect a wide variety of materials that embody many perspectives. It attempts to place those materials within a conceptual framework that might be helpful in looking at Indigenous oral history, and indeed oral history generally. That framework includes viewing oral history in three dimensions of time - testimony about recent events, oral histories that encompass an individual's lifetime, and oral traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. The framework includes looking at oral history in the context of how many cultures and traditions incorporate oral history in their legal systems and cultures. It asks both how values and methods differ among communities and how they reflect widespread or virtually universal tendencies. The framework also invites the reader to consider the different ways in which oral evidence can or should be reinforced or qualified by references to other sources of information, such as other oral evidence, documentary testimony and physical evidence of various kinds. It is hoped that this collection will be of assistance to others in studying or developing their own teaching materials in this dynamic area.

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“…That is, the texts may well have been spoken to scribes by the author to begin with, and even if not, were certainly intended to be read aloud. David Rhoads gives a fascinating account of the intersection of performance and exegesis (Rhoads 2006). He writes: -Perhaps the most significant feature of performance is that of the ‗subtext.'…”

Section: Exegetical Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Issues in Sign Language Translation, with Special Reference to Bible Translation

Penner

2018

SIL-UND Work Papers

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Sign Language (SL) translation is a field of growing interest to major groups involved in translation, but many SL translation projects are encountering difficulties. In examining these, I argue that the Deaf community occupies a unique sociolinguistic context as it relates to translation, and that this makes Deaf ownership of translation projects and training of Deaf people a high priority. I then look at three other salient issues in SL translation: personnel, exegesis, and the question of signing style, offering tentative solutions. In addition, I suggest that projects might benefit from: 1) engaging in discourse studies early in the SL translation process, 2) a single-line approach to glossing that works well with analytical software, 3) maintaining a pure sign language environment, and 4) implementing effective comprehension testing methods.

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Performance Criticism: An Emerging Methodology in Second Testament Studies—Part I

Cited by 28 publications

References 19 publications

Translating psalms for Africa today: Involving the community and transmitting through performance

Translating psalms for Africa today: Involving the community and transmitting through performance

Indigenous Oral History Reader

Issues in Sign Language Translation, with Special Reference to Bible Translation

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