When Ben realized the need for a translation of the Bible in the Mayangna language several years ago, he didn’t attempt the job on his own. His closest collaborator was a Mayangna believer, and together they set out to meet the need. Today, this brother’s family...
Bible Translation
In the translation world, it is well-known that certain genres of text are more difficult to translate than others. Some of the easier text genres for translation are narrative (telling about an event) and descriptive (giving details about someone or something). A far more difficult text genre...
Translators are not authors, free to write whatever they want in the way they want. They must translate the existing text with integrity.
With form and meaning in constant tension, what helps translators stay faithful to the form of the original text? These four points correspond to the...
"If clear understanding is one of the main goals of translation, then enjoying and receiving the messages of the New Testament in their fullness requires having access to the Old." —Peter Yuh Kimen
We expect that a surgeon would spend years in training and apprenticeships before he ever attempts his first surgery. Likewise, a lawyer would spend years in law school before he ever represents a case in the courthouse. Should a missionary go to the field without training? Should a translator...
The whole point of Bible translation is that the Word of God be read or heard by those who did not have this access before. Unfortunately, many Bible translations have been completed after years of hard work and the Bibles are not read by their intended audience. Obviously, no Bible translation...
Translators navigate a constant tension between form and meaning. English Bibles, for example, may keep the word order of the original writing in one passage (maintaining more of the form), but in other passages change words around so it is easier to understand (clarifying the meaning). Is there...
(The Importance of Using Familiar Language)
At All-Nations, one of our translation values is accessibility: translating into familiar, present-day language. This goes beyond the obvious choice to translate into the Mixtec language for Mixtec-speaking...
"If clear understanding is one of the main goals of translation, then enjoying and receiving the messages of the New Testament in their fullness requires having access to the Old." —Peter Yuh Kimen
"Because of the intense drudgery involved in learning language, nothing short of whole-hearted, sacrificial support for language learning—making concrete plans and expecting intense commitment until high-level mastery of the language is achieved—will enable new missionaries to master their...