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3/13/20091
BibleTranslation
Into ‘Minority’Languages
Presenter: Bertram Gayle (Jr)
Co-ordinator, JCTP
1
Schedule of Events
•
5:00-5:15 –Bible Translation –
the concept behind it
•
5:15-5:30 -Videos
•
5:30-5:45 –Bible Translation –
the process behind it
•
5:45-6:05 -Translation Exercise
•
6:05-6:15 -Presentations & Review
•
6:15-6:20 –Break
•
6:20-6:40 –JCTP: An Introduction
•
6:40-6:50 –Q & A 
2
What’s a Minority Language?
Try formulating your own definition!
 Was your definition setting specific?
Eg: for the purposes of the European Charter forRegional or Minority Languages:
"regional or minority languages" means languages:
traditionally used within a given territory of a State by nationalsof that State who form a group numerically smaller than the restof the State's population; and 
different from the official language(s) of that State.
 Within SIL/WBTI, “minority language” refers to:
One of the thousands of languages of the world that typicallydoes not enjoy official status, long histories of being written, wide geographic distribution, etc.
3
The Concept Behind BT
From a Purely non-Christian Perspective
Socio-economic liberation & empowerment
Preservation, standardisation & stabilisation of languages
Language development
Opportunity for systematic study 
Cultural enrichment & preservation
Enhancing & sustaining a sense of identity & worth
Facilitating literacy -information booklets, documentingtraditional cultural knowledge...
Spin off products of Vernacular Bibles capitalised on by musicians, poets, drama writers, etc.
Change attitudes –towards language / languageusers…..justice
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The Concept Behind BT
(cont’d)
From a Christian Perspective
“…goand
make disciples
of all nations, baptisingthem…
teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matt 28:19-20)!
Evangelism
The Good News re: Jesus, the Christ
 New churches: Mexico, Philippines, PNG, Brazil, etc…
Discipleship
BT has not kept us with Evangelism
Feeding the Bibleless Church
Growth, nurture, development, maturity (cf2 Tim 3:16ff).
5
 
The Concept Behind BT
(cont’d)
Bible Translators see BT as a double-edgedsword!
Primarily 
spiritual nourishment
Secondarily 
maintaining life and improving the qualityof people’s material existence
6
 
3/13/20092
Videos
 1.
The Ultimate Goal 
The glory of God 
The Joy of all Peoples
 2.
 A Flower Unfolds
Suriname Javanese NT 
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The TranslationProcess
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The Process behind BT
•
For pioneer translators, BT isn’t the beginning!
Language Survey 
Language acquisition
Linguistic description
•
Phonetics & Phonology 
•
Orthography 
•
Grammar
•
Lexicography 
Cultural description
•
 Anthropology –
religion, politics, economics, etc…
Bible Translation
Literacy / Scripture Use
(eg. ethnomusicology)
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The Translation Process
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7: Preliminary testing10: Testing and reviewing8: Back-translation11: Final editing12: Final read-through9: Consultant check6: Key biblical terms5: Team check3: Supplementary helps4: Keyboarding2: Drafting1: Exegesis
Translation Exercise!!!
Translate Luke 10:25-37 into
idiomatic
 Jamaican Creole
•
This passage comes early in the third division of Luke.
 Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.
He is preparing his disciples for the time when he will nolonger be with them.
Notice the reference to Samaria inLuke 9:51-56.
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Translation Guidelines
1.
Read the section in two different versions
(5 mins)
a.
Choose one version that is more
literal
that follows the structure of the original language textclosely,
b.
and one that is more
meaning based
that aims to communicate the meaning as effectively as possible.
2.
Translate into
idiomatic Jamaican Creole
(10 mins)
3.
Test your translation with
several
speakers of your target
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3/13/20093
Translation Guidelines
(cont’d)
Make mental or written notes of what was hard totranslate, and where you needed to make adjustmentsto the form of the text to make the translationcommunicate well and appropriately:
Did you use footnotes?
Did you have to explain cultural items?
Did you need to change idioms, metaphors or figuresof speech?
 What other adjustments did you make?
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Translations in Review
Do you think translating a biblical text is more difficultthan translating a ‘secular’ test?
Did you learn anything from doing this exercise? What?
 What can you do in the future to make this task easier?
 What testing activities did you use to improve yourtranslation?
 What kind of changes did you make as a result of thetesting?
 Anything else?
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BREAK
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Jamaican Creole Translation Project
1617
Meet the Current Team
JCTP: An Introduction
Part of Worldwide Movement
BT in ethnolinguisticminority communities
WBTI has helped to translate 740 NTs and Bibles rep. over 82m! 
6,486 WBTI personnel; presently working in 93 countries
 1,998 programmes reaching 1.2b in progress
Caribbean Translations
7 completed Bibles: -Haitian, Yacatan, Papiamentu, WaiWai, etc
1
16 completed NTs: -Aukan, St Lucian, SrananTongo, Gullah, etc
2
9 portions:-Pemon, Islander Creole English (San Andres), etc
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5 in progress: -Akawaio, Guadeloupean, Wapishana, T&T SignLanguage, Jamaican, etc
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