Bob Hodgson (Bible translation scholar) | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Bible societies have revolutionized translation projects by prioritizing local languages and using mother tongue speakers as translators.

Key Insights

• 🤑 The Bible societies have a rich history of learning from mistakes and evolving their translation methods to prioritize local languages and cultural understanding.
• 😋 Translation projects rely on mother tongue speakers as translators, reviewers, and testers to ensure accuracy and accessibility.
• 🍵 The Bible societies collaborate with other agencies to handle thousands of translation projects worldwide, particularly in Asia.
• 👣 Bible translation is shifting towards media translation and communication alongside traditional print translation.
• 🌐 Translation studies can benefit from the expertise and field data of Bible societies, which have a global perspective and experience in tailoring translations for small and local markets.

Transcript

foreign today is the 11th of September 2004. and we're at the central seminar we've been discussing translation studies intensity here I'm interested in seeing the relation between your field which is Bible translation and more General translation studies so just to set this up could you tell us more or less what the Bible societies do in the world... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How have Bible societies revolutionized the way translation projects are set up?

The Bible societies have moved away from the old model of relying solely on missionaries and have instead focused on recruiting mother tongue speakers as translators. This has led to more accurate and effective translations that are easily understood by the target audience.

Q: What is the role of Bible translation experts in the translation process?

Bible translation experts act as quality control, providing guidance and answering questions during the community testing phase. They do not dictate how a translation should look and feel but rather serve as a resource for historical, textual, and exegetical information.

Q: How many people are typically involved in a Bible translation project?

A typical Bible translation project involves around 10 to 15 active members. This includes drafters, reviewers, community testers, and translation consultants. The collaboration between different agencies further expands the professional population involved in translation.

Q: What is the current workload of Bible translation officers?

A Bible translation officer usually handles around 10 to 20 projects at any given time, each in different stages of development. This workload includes projects from the United Bible Societies, American Bible Societies, and the Summer Institute of Linguistics.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Bible societies have been experts in setting up translation projects for over 2,500 years, learning from past mistakes and implementing specialized techniques.

• Bible translation has shifted from the missionary model to a project setup that prioritizes local languages and translations that can be easily understood by ordinary people.

• The Bible societies work with mother tongue speakers as translators, reviewers, and testers, ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of the translations.