DIE KOORD - SEPTEMBER 2022

GEDAGTE VIR DIE MAAND

“Would you Adam and Eve it…?”               - Arno Meiring

‘n Engelse hoërskoolonderwyser, Mike Coles, het in 2001 die Bybel in Cockney Engels begin vertaal. Cockney Engels is die soort Engels wat die werkers in Londen gepraat het sedert die begin van die negentiende eeu.

Wat dit interssant maak is dat Cockney Engels oorspronklik ‘n soort geheime taal was om inligting van die polisie en owerhede af weg te hou, en daarom het die werkers alledaagse woorde vervang met rymende alternatiewe of woordpare. In Cockney Engels word “mate” byvoorbeeld vervang met “China plate” of net “China”. Coles het nie meer die Bybel probeer geheim hou nie, maar hy het agtergekom dat sy studente die Bybelse verhale verskriklik geniet as hulle dit in hierdie vorm lees.

Dit is ‘n manier om die ou verhale weer nuut te hoor! Dit is ook betekenisvol dat die Bybel die taal van gewone mense – in hierdie geval die East Enders van Londen – praat. Want die Here kom praat mos met ons gewone mense oor ons gewone dinge. Ek hoop jy geniet dit net soveel…

Hieronder is die Cockney weergawe van Jesus wat die storm stilmaak:

One evening, Jesus said to his chinas, “Let’s go to the other side of this ‘ere lake.” So they left all the people, and the disciples got into the nanny and set orf. There were quite a few other nannies there too. And then, would you Adam and Eve it, a huge wind started to blow up, and the waves got so bloomin’ big that they began to spill into the nanny. It got to the stage where the nanny was almost gonna fill up with fisherman’s daughter. Despite all this, Jesus was at the back of the nanny ‘aving a feather, lying there with his loaf on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, we’re about to die. Don’t you care?” Jesus got up from his little feather and shouted at the wind, “Oi, be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Oi, be still!” The wind suddenly died dahn, and it became really calm. Jesus then said to his chinas, “What is it with you lot? Why were you all so frightened? Do you still not have faith?” But the disciples were in a right ol’ two and eight.

Woordelys:

China plate: mate

Nanny goat: boat

Adam and Eve: believe

Fisherman’s daughter: water

Feather and flip: kip

Loaf of bread: head

Two and eight: state