Hans Combrink grew up in Stellenbosch. He completed the BA (Theology), BA Honours (Greek), BTh, and MTh degrees all cum laude at the University of Stellenbosch where he met his wife Patricia. They joined Wycliffe and served with SIL in translation for two decades. In June 2014 Hans joined Biblica and since Feb 2016 serves as Vice President, Global Translation.
Unlocking Metaphorical Chains: New Horizons for Ancient Texts in the Modern World
Abstract
This paper will explore the significance of recent theoretical developments in cognitive linguistics and translation theory, as well as a general move in translation circles towards more direct or stimulus-based translations. Reference will be made to an Afrikaans translation Die Bybel: ‘n Direkte Vertaling (BDV) [The Bible: A Direct Translation] as an example of this approach, since Ernst-August Gutt’s notion of a direct or stimulus-based translation embodies the skopos of this translation. This paper will also explore the concept of a translation brief which plays an important role in the functionalist model of Christiane Nord that can be seen as a helpful theoretical framework for identifying, negotiating and documenting all the variables to be taken into account when embarking on a translation project. I will further argue that an understanding of the cognitive mechanisms of metaphorical language and its cultural situatedness is crucial for determining an appropriate strategy when faced with the problem of translating ancient texts. I will try to show that the key to unlocking metaphorical language and retaining ambiguity lies in finding the relevant communicative clues of the ancient source language text and retaining those in the translation of ancient texts for the modern world.