Brad's PNG Blog

The translation process

October 21, 2014

There are lots of classes here at Equip. The most interesting one so far has been this morning's session on the translation process. We began with a 5-minute video about the translation process, and then discussed the steps outlined in the video in more detail. The lengths that the translators go to in order to ensure a translation is both accurate and clear are quite astounding. Working together with mother-tongue translators, analyzing every word and phrase to decide how to best express the meaning in the target language, creating draft after draft, REVERSE translating the draft back into a major language for review by a translation consultant... no wonder it takes so many years to complete one!

To me, seeing the tremendous care with which Wycliffe produces a translation demonstrates how highly they respect God's Word. It's also a good reminder to me of the absolute truth of the Bible, and that it deserves my respect as well.

And speaking of translations, here's a bunch of completed ones from the Pacific (my area)!

Completed translations in the Pacific