Alice translation

[Mcbride, Justin]

Interesting discussion. I do know that Dorsey, who began his linguistic
work as a Christian missionary (to the Poncas?), started an OP translation
of the Gospel According to St. Mark, which appears in the microfilm reels
that Mark photographed up at the National Anthropological Archives. I can't
recall how far he got with it, but I remember seeing it. I also know that
at my time at the Kaw Nation, a handful of people did ask me about the
availability of Bible translations or portions and were disappointed to
know that there were none beyond the Lord's Prayer. There was enough
interest that we finally made the Lord's Prayer as told by Maude Rowe
available online. Furthermore, having attended one of Father Graczyk's
masses at Pryor, which was at least partially in Crow, and having been
numerous times to the Hominy Friends Meeting where Osage is used on a
weekly basis, I would suspect that certain Siouan language Bible
translations would very much be welcome additions to those congregations.
So, at least from my experience, I would respectfully suggest that there is
some degree of interest for such work in these communities. Still, I would
agree that I've never personally heard requests for translations of the
Koran, Shakespeare, or Carroll. Frankly, I would guess that there's not
enough Siouan language literacy or demand for written materials outside of
class or church organizations in many of the Southern communities in
Oklahoma to warrant much time spent translating these sorts of extended
non-Native literary works when, as Jimm rightly says, there are probably
far more pressing matters. The tribes themselves have their own stories,
after all.

Peace,
-Justin


On Fri, Apr 11, 2014 at 11:19 AM, De Reuse, Willem <WillemDeReuse at my.unt.edu
> wrote:

>  Interesting discussion. I did not know about Alice in Wonderland. As
> someone who works on Apache, I get a lot of requests for translations, as
> Apache is one of these "iconic" Native American languages.
>
>
>  One has to pick and choose, if it is short and culturally appropriate, I
> generally agree to it. I remember once translating a short Jewish prayer
> into Apache. The Apaches liked it. After all Apaches, like Jews, know
> something about wandering about in the desert.
>
>
>  Then other requests have to be nixed, like the set of "Spring Break"
> phrases I once was asked to translate, things like "I am so drunk", and
> "where is the bathroom?".
>
>
>  Portions of the Bible have more appeal that the other four works. I add
> a link to a nice example. Thanks Jimm for this.
>
>
>
> http://iowayotoelang.nativeweb.org/pdf/christmasstory.pdf
>
>
>  Another great Bible story that has been used for linguistic work is the
> Parable of Prodigal son, which has been recorded in many more versions
> than the New Testament itself, and probably second in number of
> translations to the Lord's Prayer.   One does not have to be a Christian to
> appreciate this parable is an awfully good story, of almost universal
> appeal, except maybe to vegans!
>
>
>  Willem
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* Siouan Linguistics <SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu> on behalf of Jimm
> Goodtracks <jgoodtracks at GMAIL.COM>
> *Sent:* Friday, April 11, 2014 10:27 AM
> *To:* SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu
> *Subject:* Re: Alice translation
>
>   Dear Erik Hanson:
>
> I cannot refute what you say below in regard to your statement that Alice
> in Wonderland, the Bible, Koran and Shakespeare are the most translated and
> published in various languages of the world.  If you say so, I will take it
> as so on face value.  However, I assure you that in the last 115 years here
> in Indian Country, USA, there has been no interest in these four works of
> literature on the part of an member of the indigenous communities of the
> Northern and Southern Plains that represent the Siouan, Caddoan and other
> indigenous languages families.
>
> As such, for my part, I have not available time to spend in satisfying
> someone’s whims to translate some phrase or work of no consequence to the
> language  communities just for the hell of it, i.e., the sake of making a
> translation.  Such tasks can be given to the idle hands of someone who has
> nothing better to do with their time.
>
> Sincerely,
> Jimm G. Goodtracks
> Jimm G. Goodtracks
> Báxoje Jiwére Language Project
> PO Box 55
> Tecumseh, KS 66542
>
>
> Ukínadheda wawáŋarana, ich^é nahá, injé etáwe waróxiñeda adáñešdan –
> wógiñi kigróšige íthgare ke.
> “In the middle of resisting, the language got caught, only showing her
> face in ceremony, like she’s ashamed of her scars.”
> (www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FUgDutdauQ&feature=share
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erik Hanson
> Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 9:54 AM
> To: Jimm Goodtracks
> Subject: Alice translation
>
> Hello:
>
> "Alice" is one of the standards that translators deal with and think
> about. It's the fourth most quoted work in history (after the Bible,
> Koran,  and the complete works of Shakespeare) and the only one of the four
> both secular and of a manageable size. It has already been translated and
> published into 125 languages, back to the 1860s and probably a few more
> unpublished. There is no insult to be read into a desire for a short bit,
> at least, to be rendered into any/every language. I do question the merits
> of that particular bit.
>
> Regards, Erik
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone, please forgive typos and brevity.
>
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