ASL how to write WHAT GOES AROUND...

Adam Frost icemandeaf at YAHOO.COM
Wed May 17 17:23:01 UTC 2006


Well, it could work as a free "translation" into ASL; however, there are
some non-manual grammar signals that should be placed. Without it, it truly
looks "monotoned." The first phrase is a "topic," so it needs to have brow
raise, and the second pause should not be there.

The one problem with the translation is that it narrows the meaning to only
if you give something. The phrase in English can also be referred to other
things such as saying something.

And to tell you the truth, ASL grammar "screams" for and object to give and
get in the current translation. Val is right that it would take more than
just a few signs to sign it in ASL. Two or three hypothetical scenarios
would have to be shown to explain what is being said.

Now that it looks like I have contradicted myself in saying that it would
work as a translation and then it won't, I will explain what I mean. Because
English is a majority language, most(!) deaf people have some basic
understanding of it. Therefore, it can be understood what is meant with the
current translation, which is more accurately called a transliteration.

Having said that, if your goal is just to have an "equivalent" to the
English phase as close as possible in ASL, I think that you have it. (Just
make the few changes that is.)

Adam


On 5/16/06, Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org> wrote:
>
>  Thank you, Charles...That is really short too...I will tell her...think
> it will fit as a tatoo? smile  Val ;-)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  On May 16, 2006, at 8:31 PM, Charles Butler wrote:
>
>     [image: me]
>
> [image: give]
>
> [image: comma_v]
>
>  [image: me]
>
> [image: get]
>
> [image: comma_v]
>
>  [image: same]
>
>
>
> Me give, me get, same
>
> "what goes around, comes around"
>
> "What you give is what you get"
>
> "What I give is what I get back".
>
> Does that work for a free ASL translation?
>
> Charles Butler
>
>
> *Valerie Sutton <sutton at signwriting.org>* wrote:
>
> Stuart wrote:
> > Hmm ... That sounds like an English phrase rather than an ASL phrase.
> > Or am I getting confused? :) I don't think that is a literal ASL
> > phrase. Adam or Philip, what do you think? Am I forgetting something?
> > Stuart
>
> You are absolutely right! That is an English phrase and the person
> asked me how to sign a translation of that into ASL...the meaning
> into ASL...so it might take a paragraph in ASL to explain the meaning
> of the English phrase...
>
> The person wanted the meaning written in ASL...
>
> Probably too hard...
>
> Just like idiomatic phrases in Danish have no literal translation in
> English, but translators can at least write a paragraph in English
> explaining what the meaning behind the Danish idiomatic phrase is ...
>
> There is one in Danish I always loved to quote to show people what I
> mean...it makes no sense in English but it makes a lot of sense in
> Danish!
>
> LIKE THAT IS IT SO MUCH
>
> that is the English gloss for a Danish idiomatic phrase...It means
> something like " that is the way the cookie crumbles" or something
> like that!
>
>
> idiomatic phrases are not cross-cultural...and this person wants to
> write it in a tatoo on their arm...a SignWriting tatoo!
>
> the message the person wrote to me said this:
>
>
>
> >
> >
> > I have looked all over the internet for the symbol of sign
> > writing for " WHAT COMES AROUND " ,
> > Could you possibly e-mail me the symbol. I am getting that as a tattoo
> >
> >
> > Thank You,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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