In a different post, we ventured into the elusive realm of memory. As they say, in for a penny, in for a pound, so shall we take another stab at it? This time, we turn our attention to long-term memory, which serves different purposes such as retaining the Biblical knowledge that constitutes the bulk of our interpretation. Compared…
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!” (I found it!) but “That’s funny …” — Isaac Asimov Isn’t that the same with interpretation and our walk with God in general? Sometimes everything we do, hear or say makes perfect sense. Once in a while though,…
It is naive to think that there is a one-to-one equivalency for every word in English and Chinese. There are always the “oddballs” that simply do not have corresponding counterparts in the other language. Even for those that do, their translation varies depending on the context and meaning. One that is particularly perplexing is “感動”…
As I promised, I shall boldly attempt to share some tips on upgrading our working memory during live interpretation. Working memory is the technical term for our ability to keep track of the original speech while comprehending it and figuring out how to interpret it (see the anatomy of interpretation). Not exactly a champion of memory skills, I…
2 Corinthians 12:9, But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. We’ve all heard it. We sometimes quote it. But we almost rarely do it….
Important things, no matter how many times they are repeated, should remain important, but our minds tend to have their ways of “diminishing returns” when it comes to repetition. Sadly, one such importance that easily gets diminished, is that of the Communion, 主餐 {zhu3-can1} (a.k.a. Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper). The upside is that within…
Having walked through so many “what” and “how” about interpretation, I feel it burning in my bones to explore the “why”. Our lives are crowded with so many “what” and “how” that we can barely catch our breath. The laundry list of life is endless and growing. We are exhausted, we are demoralized, and worst of…
Before we move on, let’s stop for a minute and think about the ground we have covered so far. There are the mechanics and technique of interpretation, the exercises to get anyone started on the necessary cognitive training, the Bible-specific terms and knowledge, and a whole bunch of quirky information peppered here and there. Sincerely, hats…
Interpreting numbers can trip up an interpreter more often than you may think, and in more ways than you may imagine. So, let’s look a bit closer at those numbers. Small numbers are no-brainers. If you sit through Lessons 2 to 5 of any language class, that should cover them. Problem occurs when you get…
Scanning the millennia of narratives contained in the Bible, we witness the rise and fall of empires from the Egyptian to the Roman; we read about the dozens of tribes from friends to foes; we see thousands of names ranging from our famous Lord Jesus Christ to outright mind-boggling ones like Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. To know all these names in multiple…