English Bible for the Deaf Thread poster: Samuel Murray
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Samuel Murray 
Netherlands
Local time: 17:31
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
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Hello everyone
I recently bought a book called "English Bible for the Deaf", which is a translation of the Bible into English specifically for Deaf people (i.e. people who were born deaf or who consider themselves to be part of the "Deaf" community). The same publisher previously also published a Bible for Afrikaans speaking Deaf people, but I was happy to discover that they have also created an English translation for this particular audience.
I scanned/OCR'ed the pre... See more Hello everyone
I recently bought a book called "English Bible for the Deaf", which is a translation of the Bible into English specifically for Deaf people (i.e. people who were born deaf or who consider themselves to be part of the "Deaf" community). The same publisher previously also published a Bible for Afrikaans speaking Deaf people, but I was happy to discover that they have also created an English translation for this particular audience.
I scanned/OCR'ed the preface and uploaded it here for anyone who's interested.
The idea behind a translation specifically for Deaf people is that Deaf people have trouble reading and understanding normal "hearing" English. This goes beyond not understanding how silence can be peaceful. Apparently there is a range of grammatical and syntactical constructs that Deaf people find very hard to understand. Deaf people are used to guessing the meaning of spoken communication (when they lip-read)), and for them it is second-nature to just guess what written text means based on the few words that they do understand, and this is not ideal if you want to make sure they get all of it.
I have found one other English Bible for the Deaf that was published in the US in 2003, but it turns out that this is just a children's Bible (an "easy to read" Bible) that was rebranded as a Deaf Bible. The opposite thing kind of happened to the Afrikaans Bible for the Deaf -- it was quite an expensive venture but there can't be more than about 10 000 potential buyers for it, so the publisher rebranded it as a children's Bible and eventually as an easy-to-read general Bible. Presumably the potential market for an English Bible for the Deaf is in the millions.
Apart from a simplified language, the text is accompanied by many, many explanatory notes that explain what words mean. And there is a comprehensive glossary of words that hearing people would have no difficulty with. There are also about 200 pictures in the appendix, and if a word is explained as picture, it is indicated in the footnotes. Here's an example of the text:
What are your thoughts about this? Do you know of other books that were translated specifically for the Deaf?
Samuel ▲ Collapse
| | | | Paula Graf
Portugal
Local time: 16:31
Member (2018)
German to Portuguese
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| Bible parables for the deaf in Portuguese sign language | May 14, 2021 |
How interesting, thank you very much for sharing!
I know that the Portuguese Bible Society is currently recording the parables in Portuguese sign language.
But I am not aware of any other books for deaf people.
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 10:31
English to Spanish
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| Thank you for sharing, Samuel | May 14, 2021 |
I have read that what you say is a fact, about deaf people having difficulty with reading. You might check on Wycliffe Associates, which is a group that split from Wycliffe Bible Translators, but they still share the same building. The Lord showed them how to get the Bible translated into many obscure languages much faster than the old way, where missionaries spent years among the people, learning their language and then translating the Bible, many times even having to make a written language ... See more I have read that what you say is a fact, about deaf people having difficulty with reading. You might check on Wycliffe Associates, which is a group that split from Wycliffe Bible Translators, but they still share the same building. The Lord showed them how to get the Bible translated into many obscure languages much faster than the old way, where missionaries spent years among the people, learning their language and then translating the Bible, many times even having to make a written language for them and teach them how to read it.
Wycliffe Associates offer Bible translation workshops to local churches, and church members who are multilingual work together to translate from one of their known languages into their other language. It is called Mobilized Assistance Supporting Translation (MAST). They not only do written translations, but also oral and for the deaf.
It is their goal to have the Bible available in every language by 2025. Here is their website: https://wycliffeassociates.org/ ▲ Collapse
| | | | Eva Stoppa
Germany
Local time: 17:31
English to German
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| Interesting. But | May 17, 2021 |
But is it still "doable" to call These People "deaf"? Aren't they referred to as non-Hearing or something like that in English?
I am asking because being blind myself, I do refer to myself as blind, but there are sensitivities in other languages to say visually impaired. In French, it is even more extreme. They say non-voyant or déficient visuel.
It is like gendering, I think.
In German, we don't have such sensitivities, (yet). But who knows?
... See more But is it still "doable" to call These People "deaf"? Aren't they referred to as non-Hearing or something like that in English?
I am asking because being blind myself, I do refer to myself as blind, but there are sensitivities in other languages to say visually impaired. In French, it is even more extreme. They say non-voyant or déficient visuel.
It is like gendering, I think.
In German, we don't have such sensitivities, (yet). But who knows?
I know this is slightly off Topic here, but I'd be interested in knowing how the official terminology in English is at the Moment. ▲ Collapse
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Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 17:31
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Eva Stoppa wrote:
But is it still "doable" to call These People "deaf"? Aren't they referred to as non-Hearing or something like that in English?
I think the terminology depends on the country of use. In South Africa, at least, truly deaf people (i.e. born deaf) prefer to be called "Deaf" (with a capital D). Besides, a term like "non-hearing" would be more politically incorrect since it elevates hearing to be standard and marks deaf people as deviants. Another term that some people believe is better is "hard of hearing" or "hearing impaired", but that isn't the same as deaf, and even if the speaker does mean deaf people when using that term, it incorrectly groups deaf-born deaf people with hearing-born deaf people as if they are one group.
But I hear you: there is never ending quest in some languages and some countries to sanitize the language of anything that anyone may find offensive (particularly those who feel that they have to feel offended on behalf of others).
| | | | Marina Steinbach
United States
Local time: 11:31
Member (2011)
English to German
Samuel Murray wrote:
I recently bought a book called "English Bible for the Deaf", which is a translation of the Bible into English specifically for Deaf people (i.e. people who were born deaf or who consider themselves to be part of the "Deaf" community).
Why did you want to buy a book for deaf people?
What are your thoughts about this?
This might sound kind of stupid, but when you read the Bible, what do you normally hear?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 17:31
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Marina Monica Steinbach wrote:
Why did you want to buy a book for deaf people?
Because I'm a translator, and language-related issues interest me. And because it wasn't expensive.
This might sound kind of stupid, but when you read the Bible, what do you normally hear?
It varies. If someone else is reading it out loud while I'm reading silently, then I hear that other person. If there is music playing, I hear the music. If it's during quiet-time, then I hear the ambient noises (cars in the distance, etc.). If I meditate on it, I might also imagine I'm hearing things (e.g. if the text is about e.g. a babbling brook), although that's obviously not actual hearing. And of course anyone who actually hears the Holy Spirit speaking to him during Bible reading, needs to see a special kind of doctor or check for pranks.
| | | | MollyRose
United States
Local time: 10:31
English to Spanish
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I tried to edit my earlier post but the program wouldn´t let me because too much time had passed. I wanted to add in the part about translations for the deaf, Wycliffe Associates does them in many sign languages and they record them, and they find viable ways to make the recordings available for their audiences.
If you read the Bible out loud, then you hear it, as well as if someone else reads or quotes it out loud. As one sees it communicated through sign language, one "hears" i... See more I tried to edit my earlier post but the program wouldn´t let me because too much time had passed. I wanted to add in the part about translations for the deaf, Wycliffe Associates does them in many sign languages and they record them, and they find viable ways to make the recordings available for their audiences.
If you read the Bible out loud, then you hear it, as well as if someone else reads or quotes it out loud. As one sees it communicated through sign language, one "hears" it. Jesus said several times, "He who has an ear, let him hear." He wasn´t just talking about auditory (which is important for those who can hear physically), but more importantly, paying attention to what He says to believe, speak, and do.
And when the (real) Holy Spirit speaks to you while reading or listening, that is good. Jesus said that when the Spirit of Truth comes, He will teach you all things, and He will remind you of what Jesus said. It is also written that no Scripture is of private interpretation, but by the Holy Spirit. ▲ Collapse
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Yi Zhang
Australia
Local time: 01:31
English to Chinese
| Thanks for sharing | May 23, 2021 |
Really useful and considerate. First time see books for deaf people!
[Edited at 2021-05-23 09:17 GMT]
| | | | Adieu
Ukrainian to English
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| I am SO confused | May 24, 2021 |
I was 110% certain that any reasonably educated deaf person in modern times would have reading comprehension skills FAR exceeding your Average Joe, if only on account of decades of reading subtitles and asking google instead of people for all sorts of information.
Maybe this is relevant in backward places where public education just shrugs off the hard of hearing entirely? IDK.
Doesn't seem relevant in rich Western countries.
[Edited at 2021-05-24 0... See more I was 110% certain that any reasonably educated deaf person in modern times would have reading comprehension skills FAR exceeding your Average Joe, if only on account of decades of reading subtitles and asking google instead of people for all sorts of information.
Maybe this is relevant in backward places where public education just shrugs off the hard of hearing entirely? IDK.
Doesn't seem relevant in rich Western countries.
[Edited at 2021-05-24 06:25 GMT]
[Edited at 2021-05-24 06:26 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 17:31
Spanish to English
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| Hadn't crossed my mind | May 25, 2021 |
Thanks, Samuel. I hadn't even thought about this before.
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