“‘Make straight a highway for our God’ (Isaiah 40:3-5). In our own way, that’s what we are called to do—to create a highspeed digital highway, as direct as possible, smoothing the way for translators’ work flow, so the peoples of the earth can receive God’s word and see the glory of the Lord.” Rob Scebold at a JAARS conference in September.
Technology has revolutionised the way that Bible translation is done. For the early European translations, one scholar considered translation options alone, surrounded by other translations, laboriously writing a manuscript out by hand, to be printed using clunky materials over many months on a printing press. Mistakes were common and costs were unbelievable.
Many people think we still do translation like this. Certainly translations are considered, but increasing amounts of discussion are shared over the internet. Yes, libraries of resources are available, but easily available on computers. Printing can still take a long time, but to get something of a draft quality now can take just a click of a button, and publishing digitally can spread a translation around the world in a matter of minutes.
In their latest magazine, JAARS – a technological partner of Wycliffe Bible Translators – expand on some of the leaps that have been made forward in software to support Bible translation. Among them…
- WeSay and myWorkSafe, programmes developed in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, which change dictionary making and file backup into something straightforward for mother-tongue translators who are inexperienced with computers. Dictionaries aid the work of translators and progress literacy, and in an environment where powercuts, loss of internet and computer failure are common, backing up is essential.
- ScriptSource – an online database for linguists, researchers and font designers to share information about scripts and needs for new characters.
- Pathway prepares finished documents for publising straight away, arranging items in the right formatting meet the highest standards of publishing at a click.
For more about the exciting and new developments in software coming along with Bible translation, read JAARS latest magazine, Rev 7.
If you are free this Saturday and around the High Wycombe area, you can find out more about how technology is changing the way translation is done at our public event ‘The Bible: the Story everybody needs’. Find out more.
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Coverdale began his work despite knowing that Tyndale was working on a complete Bible translation. “Why should other nations,” he said, “be more plenteously provided for with the Scriptures in their mother-tongue than we?”
As a child, Bois was certainly remarkable. Born to parents renowned for their personal godliness, Bois was the only of their children to live through childhood. His father personally educated him, and very proficiently: by age 5, he could reputedly read the Bible in Hebrew.
Although his selection was originally questioned – the London translators didn’t think they needed his ‘country’ help – he was also selected to be on the committee for the final checking of the translation. The process took the team of 12 nine months to complete. His notes from the meetings have been found, and made up part of the ‘Manifold Greatness’ exhibition in Oxford, which last year celebrated the anniversary of the King James Bible.
