Retelling is an extension of communicative translation
as it follows a similar communicative aim without targeting at
verbal affinity. The text of “TheGospels in Broad Yorkshire” is
a retelling of several classical biblical subjects written by Arnold
Kellett. The goal of the present paper is to identify characteristic
features for this kind of representation used for the highly specific subject matter. The key method is comparison of the dialectal text and the corresponding sections of King James’s Bible; also used are elements of contextual analysis, the analysis of dictionary entries and of the rhetoric structure of the text.
The author introduces the first person narrator, who freely expresses his ideas of the topics described in the Bible often humoring them. Linguistic adaptation concerns grammar as well as lexis. Lexical substitution is manifold: apply ing present day neutral terms instead of archaic words, extensive use of dialectal
words as well as idioms and phrasal words, Introduction of present-day realia terms. At the same time, difficult archaic religious words remain, like “disciple”, sometimes followed by an
explanation. Such words serve as precedent terms indicating inherent links of the retelling with the original. Also, Kellet’stext
abounds with free additions written mostly in a conversational,
often ironic or humorous style.
These linguistic modifications result in a narration fluent and
reader-friendly, appealing to diverse readership by its easy manner. Through this, the biblical subject matter penetrates the
minds of those not yet familiar with the topics and makes the
readers realize and appreciate the moral significance of the material. Informal and relaxed, even chatty, the narration obviously resembles the original texts, which were initially oral and conversational, when Jesus spoke to people or crowds of people persuading and teaching them. It is this communicative function that links the retelling and the original, which is also variable, and allows considering the retelling an extension of the original text.
