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From: Fran.O'gorman@f94.n272.z1.fidonet.org (Fran O'gorman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: eeek!
Message-ID: <18923@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 23 Apr 91 19:18:36 GMT
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[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 LB>   Eeek!   My ASL teacher want's us to do a SONG for class.   My
 LB>   friend decided that we should do the theme song from the Phantom
 LB>  of the Opera!  My brain is melting!!  Before I can do the easy
 LB>  part and figure out what the appropriate signs are, I've got to
 LB>  translate it to ASL!

Hi Lana!  Can I back you up a bit and ask WHY you are doing this
particular song?  When I took my Intermediate ASL course the
teacher strongly discouraged songs like this for the very reason
you're scratching your head--that kind of imagery doesn't lend
itself to ASL.  It's doable but it does mean some poetic
interpretation --that's the challenge and the problem...

 LB>  ACK! how would you say:
 LB> "Sing once again with me
 LB> A strange duet.

The word order could (probably should) be different but the gist
could be "Sing again strange song for 2 voices with me".  In other
words, what I get out of this is that it's the song that's
strange, and also meant for 2 voices, and that he's asking her to
sing it with him (again).  That's my interpretation...

 LB> My power over you
 LB> Grows stronger yet

strong I become over you...I'd get intense here to show VERY
strong as I did it rather than literally sign it...

 LB> And thought you turned from me.
 LB> To glance behind

This I'd set up and act out (along with the signs of course)

 LB> The Phantom of the Opera is there...
 LB> Inside your mind."

That's why this is such a bad choice of songs to do, there's a
sign for ghost which you can use for 'phantom' but I doubt that
there's one for opera --except maybe miming an opera singer--but
if you have to fingerspell it--it'll kill the flow...the rest from
those lines is pretty obvious...

 LB> Where night is blind.

That's where you'll have to use poetic license...I'd just indicate
the night being blind up by your head (assuming that's the 'where'
he's referring to)

I'd check with your teacher first though if I were you, she may
well suggest a different song.  I saw 'hello again' by Neal
Diamond and that went really well and 'wind beneath my wings' was
one someone was working on but I never got to see her do (I was
absent) but the images are more tangible type things...

--Fran

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