Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Spring 2013
Nomads
No Longer Settled in a community
of their own, the Naskapi
people of Quebec deepen
their spiritual roots with
help from the translated
Scriptures.
Bible Translation Milestone Reached + Scriptures for 31 Languages + Catching Our Breath for the Final Sprint
Spring 2013 Volume 31 Number 1
Foreword
Word Alive, which takes its name from Hebrews 4:12a,
is the official publication of Wycliffe Bible Translators
of Canada. Its mission is to inform, inspire and involve
the Christian public as partners in the worldwide
Bible translation movement. Unusual Firsts
Editor: Dwayne Janke
Designer: Cindy Buckshon Dwayne Janke
Senior Staff Writer: Doug Lockhart
Staff Writers: Janet Seever
G
Staff Photographers: Alan Hood, Natasha Schmale
athering stories for this issue of Word Alive was an unusual
Word Alive is published four times annually by
Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada, 4316 10 St NE, assignment filled with firsts for senior staff writer Doug
Calgary AB T2E 6K3. Copyright 2013 by Wycliffe Lockhart. For starters, Doug (with photographer Alan
Bible Translators of Canada. Permission to reprint Hood) travelled on assignment to Eastern Canada. Secondly, he
articles and other magazine contents may be visited a First Nations communityanother thing he had never
obtained by written request to the editor. A done before for Word Alive. Thirdly, the story took him to a remote
donation of $20 annually is suggested to cover
the cost of printing and mailing the magazine. community in Quebec, a province he had never visited.
(Donate online or use the reply form in this issue.) In other ways, though, Dougs visit to the town of
Printed in Canada by McCallum Printing Group, Kawawachikamach [KA-wa-wa-CHIK-ah-match] was similar
Edmonton. to previous assignments he has been on with Word Alive
Member: The Canadian Church Press, Evangelical photographers over the years.
Press Association.
For additional copies: media_resources@wycliffe.ca Like people in Africa, South America and many other regions of
To contact the editor: editor_wam@wycliffe.ca the world, the Naskapis are discovering Gods Word in their mother
For address updates: circulation@wycliffe.ca tongue, with the involvement of Wycliffe personnelin this case,
Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz.
And like many other language groups where Bible translation
is underway, or completed, theyre learning how to read their
language and apply the translated Scriptures to their everyday lives.
Over and over again, Doug says, Naskapi people told us, This
(Scripture in their language) is important to us as a people. Our
language is part of who we are, part of our identity.
The more we learned about their past, the more we appreciated
Wycliffe serves minority language groups worldwide how much they have suffered, he adds. There were times they
by fostering an understanding of Gods Word through nearly perished as a people, but today you can see and hear the
Bible translation, while nurturing literacy, education pride they have in their language and culture, and the renewed
and stronger communities. hope theyve found through Bible translation and
language development.
Canadian Head Office: 4316 10 St NE, Calgary AB T2E
6K3. Phone: (403) 250-5411 or toll free 1-800-463-1143,
From Quebec to It was a real privilege to spend a week in their
community, and to see what God is doing among them.
8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. mountain time. Fax: (403) 250-
2623. Email: info@wycliffe.ca. French speakers: Call toll
the far reaches of Of course, God is advancing His Kingdom among
free 1-877-747-2622 or email francophone@wycliffe.ca the world, God language groups everywhere. Read Janet Seevers
Cover: Naskapi parishioners make their way home Translation Update story (see pg. 30). It gives a more
following a Sunday morning service at St. Johns is advancing His global perspective of Scripture completions this past
Anglican Church in Kawawachikamach, Quebec.
Now more than ever, the Naskapis expressions Kingdom among year that involved Wycliffe personnel. Janet works
hard all year tracking the progress of Bible translation
of faith are being shaped and strengthened by
Scripture in their mother tongue..
language groups projects, highlighting Canadian involvement and
everywhere. giving a summary and statistical overview of finished
work in the far reaches of the world.
And speaking of global progress, dont miss reading
about an important imminent Bible translation milestone in the
lead news item of our Watchword section on page 4. Spoiler alert:
For the first time ever, the number of languages in the world with
In Others Words Bible translation underway is greater than the number of known
languages that still need work to begin in them!
I shall give myself no rest until my people
Now that is an unusual first thats difficult to top. But given
have the whole of the Word of God in
that our God is smack in the middle of giving His Word to Bibleless
their hands.
peoples, Im sure there will be other heaven-sent, surpassing firsts
Bishop John Horden (1828-1893), first Anglican coming our way.
Bishop of Moosonee, Ont.; Bible translator of
Moose Cree Scriptures, also used by the Naskapi Lord willing, we here at Word Alive will be ready to report
people until recently (see stories, pgs. 6-29) on them.
2 Word Alive Spring 2013 wycliffe.ca
Contents
Features
Articles by Doug Lockhart Photographs by Alan Hood
6
26 A Prized Opportunity An internship with
Wycliffe helped one Ontario student understand the
impact of Bible translation on a First Nations community.
Departments
18
2 Foreword Unusual Firsts
By Dwayne Janke
By Roy Eyre
B.T. Projects
in Progress
Europe
3%
Bible Translation GILLBT Marks Golden Anniversary
50
Reaches Key Milestone
W
(by region) ycliife Global Alliances member organization in Ghana,
Americas
F
or the first time ever, languages in the
world with active Bible translation
projects actually outnumber those that
Africa, has wrapped up a year-long celebration of its
50 years of service. The Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and
Bible Translation (GILLBT) held a two-day conference in Accra this
14%
Africa still need work to begin in them. past September, on the state of Bible translation and use. It was a
Pacific 34% time of reflection on the past, present and future of Bible translation
According to new statistics from the
region
17% Wycliffe Global Alliance, Bible translation is in the languages of Ghana and all of Africa.
currently underway in 2,075 languages, while GILLBT was established in 1962, with the participation and help of
Asia
32% only 1,967 languages still need translation SIL International (Wycliffes main field partner). Since then GILLBT has
to start. A year ago, the figures were 1,976 been doing Bible translation, language work and mother-tongue lit-
in progress and 2,040 in need respectively. eracy promotion in many of Ghanas nearly 80 language communities.
B.T. Projects The milestone in the global Bible translation Through GILLBTs efforts, the CHINA
New Testament has been translated
still needed BHUTAN
into 28 languages, and the Old Testament into five. GILLBT currently
(by region) effort reflects the ongoing acceleration that
Europe
4% has resulted since Vision 2025 was adopted has four New Testament and 11 Old Testament projects in progress.
Americas
4% by Wycliffe and others in 1999. It aims to see
Bible translation in progress in every language Traditional dancers celebrate gillbts golden anniversary.
needing it by the year 2025. In 1999, 3,000
GILLBT
Pacific
languages still needed translation to begin.
BANGLADESH
are in the Pacific area; 81 are in the Americas; and 76 are in Europe. LEBANON
ISRAEL
For all of the 2012 Bible translation statistics, visit <www.wycliffe.net> From Torture to Triumph IRAQ IRAN
JORDAN
E
and click Statistics. See also the related Last Word column on page 35. thiopias Gamo people arrived by the thousands
KUWAIT at Chencha
LIBYA
town square this past June to celebrate the launch of the New
Former Wycliffe Testament EGYPT
in their language. BRUNEI OMAN
The celebration was a far cry from the years before andQATAR
MALAYSIA during
Canada Director Dies the communist regime in the African country. Many GamoU. A. E.
SAUDI ARABIA
CHAD
Nicholson (pictured at left) led Wycliffe Canada from YEMEN
TANZANIA
1,442 Europe
INDONESIA PAPUA NEW GUINEA
855 Asia
Port Moresby 840 Pacific region
295 Africa
AUSTRALIA Source: Wycliffe Global Alliance, Sept. 2011
No Longer
tongue literacy.
(Left) Flanked by photos of their nomadic ancestors hanging in the Naskapi Development
Corporation office, two young girls do some texting while perusing the Naskapi New Testament.
In their rapidly-changing world, Naskapi youth have an advantage their ancestors never enjoyed
the ability to read and write their own language. Vernacular literacy, a byproduct of a Bible
translation project in this community, is helping a new generation of Naskapisand their elders
(top, right)get their hands on biblical and cultural materials written in their heart language.
Quebec
Current location
Former range
L
inguists classify the Cree-Innu-Naskapi (formerly
referred to as Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi) languages
as part of a larger family of languages known as
Algonquian.
Speakers of Algonquian languages stretch from the east
coast of North America all the way to the Rocky Mountains. In
Canada, First Nations within this language family reside in the
Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario and the Prairie provinces.
The syllabic writing system now used by the Naskapis has
its roots in the script developed in the 1830s by Methodist
missionary James Evans.
Working among the Cree who lived near the north end of
Lake Winnipeg, Evans taught some local Cree hunters how
to read the syllabics; they in turn spread that knowledge to
other Cree groups they encountered in their vast hunting
and fishing territories.
Beginning in the mid- to late-19th century, missionaries
A Naskapi lay leader serves communion
arriving in remote northern communities sometimes found
during an Anglican church service
people who already knew how to read and write using in Kawawa.
syllabics. Such was the case for Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz.
When we came to Kawawa in the 80s, says Bill, most older
Naskapis could read and write their own language in syllabics.
Several of the elders were also very fluent reading Moose Cree
and James Bay Cree syllabic literature.
However, it was not being taught to schoolchildren in
a systematic way, and in church services, the Cree New
Testament was not easy for many Naskapis to read and
understand. Elders like Joe Guanish had to interpret
passages as they read them, and provide oral translations
for their audience.
In the late 1960s, a Wycliffe language survey determined
that the Naskapi language differed enough from surrounding
Cree languages to warrant its own Bible translation program.
Using the Cree syllabic characters as a starting point and in Handcrafted caribou-hide moccasins.
consultation with Naskapi readers and writers, Bill developed
a new syllabic typeface for the Naskapi language called BJCree,
which has also been used by other related languages across
Canada. This font was used to produce the Naskapi New The lighting of candles is one of many
church traditions adopted by the Naskapis
Testament and other publications. With its keyboard input
since they were first introduced to
method, it is also being taught to local schoolchildren, adults Christianity in the 1830s.
enrolled in literacy classes
and Naskapi students
studying by extension
through McGill University.
To view a sample of the
Naskapi script, see Joes
Prayer, pg. 17.
Nourished by the Word
Many Naskapis contributed to the translation of the Naskapi
New Testament, which was published and dedicated in 2007.
While Bill facilitated the project, several Naskapis served as
mother tongue translators and various Naskapi elders checked
their translations for accuracy, clarity and naturalness.
During church services, Naskapi Scripture is read aloud from a
Naskapi-English lectionary, which contains systematic Scripture
readings used widely by the Anglican Church. Available in book
form since 2011, the lectionary provides a three-year pattern for
Sunday readingsincluding significant Old Testament passages.
The congregation also uses a
More on the Web: Read about a
Naskapi prayer book and sings church music specialists visit to
from a book of hymns in their Kawawa at <exclusives.wycliffe.ca>.
language.
Other Scripture publications include Walking with Jesus, an
illustrated series on the life of Christ adapted by permission from
the Canadian Bible Society, and the book of Genesis, which has
been checked by readers in the community and was published
earlier this year.
Satellite TV Like other First Nations in Canada, the Naskapis
are fighting to preserve their mother tongue.
and the Internet Many Naskapi people never learned to read their
influences their language, because it was not taught systematically
until after the language project was underway
vocabulary. in the 90s. And while the local school began
teaching Naskapi children to read and write their language about
a dozen years ago, the Naskapi spoken by the young generation is
being shaped by modern culture and other factors.
When I came here, I noticed that most of the kids are speaking
(Above) On a warm Sunday after-
Naskapi, says Kawawa school principal, Curtis Tootoosis, a Cree
noon this past September, family
man originally from Saskatchewan. But when I spoke to some of
members and friends of a Naskapi
the adults about it, they said theyre not speaking pure Naskapi. man who disappeared in the bush
They said its kind of a watered down version. more than 30 years ago gather at
Satellite TV and the Internet influences their vocabulary, he a roadside shrine commemorating
adds. And its often diluted with a mix of English, French and his life. Beyond them in the forest,
Innu (formerly known as Montagnais, spoken by another First others searchunsuccessfullyfor
Nation in the area). the missing mans remains after
For those reasons and others, its clear to see that the one elder dreamed where they
availability of vernacular Scripture is making a difference for might be found.
people in their homes and in church. Ruby Sandy Robinson, an (Right) At the Jimmy Sandy
Memorial School in Kawawa,
NDC administrator and grandmother who is just beginning
teacher Lynn Einish drills her sec-
to read her own language, says having the New Testament in
ond grade students in the Naskapi
Naskapi is a blessing. alphabet. Naskapi children are
Its very important to me, and I think to my nation, my taught in their mother tongue
community, that theres finally a bookGods Wordin our from kindergarten through Grade
everyday language. 2, before switching to English
instruction in third grade.
Growing Influence around and said, what did you say? He was reading . . . so I said,
The Bible was part of Rubys everyday life growing up. Her Can you read it again?
late father, Joseph Sandy, was a devout man who loved Sure enough, he did. He said he learned it at school. . . . I
Gods Word. In their home, he read the Cree Scriptures couldnt believe itI was so dumbfounded. But also it really
and interpreted them for his wife and children. touched meI cried. Im a grandmother and I didnt know how
Others, like former chief Joe Guanish, have also valued to read Naskapi, yet this little boy of six years old could read it
the Word of God. Back in the 80s, Guanish helped pave just like that.
the way for Bible translation to begin in Kawawa and
later became involved in checking translated Scriptures.
He also became the voice for Scripture readings that
are played daily on the community radio station.
Guanish, now 82, loves his people and wants to see them
follow Gods ways. Several years ago, after waking from a vivid
dream, he penned a prayer for his people (see Joes Prayer,
pg. 17). Highly respected by the Naskapis, he
Im a grandmother is generally regarded as the senior adviser for
and I didnt know all language-related questions. If translators
how to read Nas- struggle to find the right Naskapi words or
arent quite sure of their meanings, the usual
kapi, yet this little recourse is to ask Joe.
boy of six years old If Ruby could read Naskapi like Joe, shed
be thrilled. But when she attended school
could read it just as a child, the Naskapi language was not
like that. taught in school. For now, she struggles along
with some of her co-workers in the Naskapi
Development Corporation (NDC), who gather regularly
to practise reading from the Naskapi New Testament.
In this, she has found inspiration from her grandson, Kyle.
He was six, in Grade 1. I was keeping him one night, and when
we were passing by a poster on my door . . . I heard him mumble Ruby Sandy Robinson is just beginning to read and write her language.
something. It sounded like he was reading it . . . and I turned She regularly practises reading from the Naskapi New Testament with
co-workers in the Naskapi Development Corporation office.
Returning to university classes in Saskatoon, Michael Sandy (left) enjoys a chat with fellow traveller Kathleen Tooma during the 13-hour train
ride from Schefferville to Sept-Iles. Tshiuetin Rail Transportation Inc., owned by the Naskapis and two other First Nations in Quebec, is the
chief mode of transportation for most Naskapis travelling to and from Schefferville.
Naskapi chief Isaac Pien looks for a suitable place to set his fishing nets in Iron Arm, part of Attikamagen
Lake, northeast of Kawawa. Surrounded by numerous lakes and forests abounding with wildlife, the
Naskapis no longer need to depend on the rapidly-declining caribou herds for their survival.
Almighty and everlasting God, who created everything and who created us and who
supplied everything for us to use, we thank You for treating us well, especially for giving us
Your Son to die for us so that we should not perish. Help us to do Your will, for we want to
do what You ask of us and the way we should live our lives. Help every nation of this world
and people of all ages.
Help all who suffer and who are sick. Heal those who need healing and renew their minds.
Forgive all their sins and purify their minds to serve You only all their lives.
Also help our grandchildren, children and our great-grandchildren and also our friends.
Help them to have healthy bodies and spirit.
. . . Also help us all who are elders, forgive us also of all our sins we have committed
against You all our lives and deliver us from evil. Help us to serve You for the rest of our lives.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
A Shared Path for service with SIL, Wycliffes main partner organization,
Bill and Norma Jean first met while both were in high school, by enrolling in courses at the University of Washington in
through their hometown church youth group in Connecticut. Seattle. There, Bill excelled in linguistics, earning straight As.
They dated for a short time, but when they both went off to I cant say I was hooked on linguistics, says Bill. But I thought,
college, their relationship cooled. this isnt so hard.
Then a few years later, during spring break, they saw each other I found it hard, Norma Jean adds with a chuckle.
again and Bill asked Norma Jean if he could write to her. Their But he didnt.
courtship revived, they began seeing each other during holidays When the time came to consider whereand howthey
and summer vacation. would serve in Bible translation, they talked with Roger Gilstrap,
Ironically, both had begun exploring service with Wycliffe Bible director of SILs North America Branch and more recently
Translators, independently. Norma Jean was thinking of serving director of Wycliffe Canada. Aware of Bills proficiency in
as a teacher, while Bill was leaning more towards graphic design. linguistics, Gilstrap encouraged the couple to consider leading a
Following their marriage in 1981, the couple prepared Bible translation project in northern Canada.
They must have thought, maybe it would help them if Bill had a real job.
A
s in any translation project, translators We had to do a lot of explaining, says Bill. The
working on the Naskapi Scriptures had word firmament, for example, translates as, sky skin
to wrestle with innumerable words and like a caribou skin.
concepts that didnt translate easily. Garden was another term that had no Naskapi
Because the Naskapis were used to hearing the Cree equivalent.
translation, they were familiar with biblical terms like There are no gardens here, Bill explains. So what
righteousness, peace, humility, and sanctification, says word do you use for Garden of Eden, and have it
Bill. Now that they have the entire New Testament, communicate something logical in Naskapi? We finally
theyre learning more about what those words mean . . . came up with a word that means a place for things to
now its a word in the context of a whole sentence. grow, like a park.
With the translation of Genesis now finished, the For camel, we just used the Cree word. When
MTTs have struggled at times to translate words Naskapis read that word, they know its an animal with
theyre encountering in the Old Testament. a big hump on its back.
Current Programs
Project Location Status
*Mikmaq N.S. Lectionary readings, oral stories and childrens Bible storybooks.
New Testament nearing completion; partnership with Canadian Bible
Atikamekw Que.
Society (CBS)
NT 2007; Old Testament in progress. Dictionary, lectionary, various
Naskapi Que.
cultural stories
James Bay Cree, Northern Que. New Testament nearing completion; to be published by CBS.
Stoney Alta. Scripture videos and oral translation of numerous other NT books
Programs Completed
Project Location Scriptures published
Algonquin Western Quebec NT & OT portions published in 1998
Beaver East Central B.C. NT portions
Blackfoot Central Alberta NT portions
Carrier Central B.C. OT portions, NT 1995
Carrier, Southern Central B.C. OT portions, NT 2002 Genesis 2006
Chilcotin South-central B.C. Genesis and Marks Gospel
Dogrib N.W.T. NT 2003 Genesis 2006
James Bay Cree, Southeastward from NT 2001
Southern James Bay, Que.
Gwichin Old Crow Yukon New Testament 2011
Inupiatun, North Alaskan NWT, Yukon NT 1968
Mikmaq Quebec NT 1999, OT portions
Montagnais St. Lawrence River, Que. NT portions
Sekani Central B.C. NT portions
South Slavey Alberta, N.W.T. OT portions & NT portions
Tlingit Northern B.C.,Yukon OT portions & NT portions
*Wycliffe Canada is helping to support the Mikmaq project. For more information and how to donate
to the effort, see the enclosed reply form.
A
fter Andrew Langaert won two cash prizes in last winters Race to
2025 adventure fundraising event, he had some decisions to make.
The 23-year-old Newmarket, Ont. resident won a $2,000 individual
prize towards a short-term mission trip with Wycliffe, after his three
teammates nominated him for the draw.
Then Andrews teammates elected to share their portions of a $2,000 group
prize with him. But when it came time to
More on the Web: For details about
decide what to do with the prize money,
Wycliffe Canadas Race to 2025, see
Word Alive, Spring 2010 issue at the McMaster University engineering student
<wordalive.wycliff.ca>. didnt see a good match for his interests
and abilities.
I always wanted to do native ministry, says Andrew, but Wycliffe had all these
other organized trips that sounded like theyd be greatgood opportunities to
learn and to servebut they werent really what I wanted to do long term.
So instead, Wycliffe Canada staffer Sarah Barnes began exploring internships
in a First Nations language project. A few months later, Bill and Norma Jean
Jancewicz [yan-SEH-vitch] invited Andrew to help out in the Naskapi language
project near Schefferville, Que.
I want to do native ministry in the north, says Andrew, so I thought this
sounded perfect.
Most weekdays, Andrew accompanied Bill to his office in Kawawa at the Naskapi
Development Corporation. Besides working on some computer-related tasks, Andrew
assisted with the band election and even helped Bill replace the water heater in his home.
Course Confirmed The staff would sit together in the meeting room and read
Andrew has since returned to his engineering studies at Bible passages in Naskapi. They were using materials produced
McMasterbut he has some specific ministry goals in mind. as part of the translation project, reading Gods Word, and
Doing my engineering degree, more than anything else, was a improving their literacy skills all at once.
way to potentially be able to support myself doing ministry in a Although his time in Kawawa was short, Andrew feels the
remote community. internship provided some valuable cross-cultural experience as
The way Andrew sees it, he would then need to get his well as some good insights into missionary life in northern Canada.
engineering licence, and possibly attend seminary to prepare for I really enjoyed seeing the culture and I gained a better
long-term ministry in the north. Serving in the Naskapi language understanding of the struggles these communities face, says
project has stirred him to consider some training in linguistics, too. Andrew. I learned that Bible translation is a huge task that can
I really like what Wycliffe does with linguistic ministry, and I take a very long time to finish. I learned that the work can often
enjoy linguistics too, so I might look into some kind of degree be mundane, but I also saw that the completed work meant a
along those lines. great deal to the Naskapi people.
Looking back at his month in Kawawa, Andrew says he had It was great to hear . . . how people are growing in their
the chance to see and better understand some of the challenges, faith and how lives are being changed. The internship has
joys and practical everyday confirmed for me that I want to continue my involvement with
I really like what work involved in native ministry in First Nations communities . . . and to consider future
Wycliffe does with ministry. A highlight of his time involvement in Bible translation.
linguistic ministry . . . there was participating in some
so I might look into reading sessions held in the
some kind of degree Naskapi development office.
along those lines.
S
ongs and shouts of celebration rang out across the slopes New Testaments for the Bagh* people
of Mt. Elgon in Kenya, Africa, as a huge crowdup to The Sabaot Bible, launched in Kenya, was one of 31 New
8,000 peoplegathered for the launch of the translated Testaments and Bibles dedicated for 14.5 million people, with
Sabaot Bible on Sunday, June 10th. Canadian involvement, this past year (see sidebar, opposite page).
The participants were jubilant, as they anticipated the sight of Another group that had a Scripture launch ceremony recently
the new Bibles, and they were not disappointed. They received was the Bagh people of South Asia, who number 25,000.
their Sabaot New Testament in 1997, but now they have the Living in villages nestled in a rugged mountain range, these
entire Book in their mother tongue. After a long afternoon people lead very isolated and difficult lives. Most families subsist
of speakers at the celebration, a number of Sabaot people, on small plots of land where they grow rice, corn or wheat.
including a girl of about 10 and a teenage boy, read from the Travelling outside of the community is a challenge for the Bagh
Bible. This Book is now available to 150,000 Sabaot people. people, so accessing basic health care and education is difficult.
Tribal conflict has been part of the lives of Sabaot people for Most children do not complete their formal education; instead,
generations, prompting a prayer for peace by the BTL (Bible they follow their parents into a life of deep poverty. With no
Translation and Literacy) general secretary, Peter Munguti. hope for the future, many young people are leaving Bagh villages.
[I pray] that many of you Sabaot people, who have not known
peace for years, will read these Scriptures in your language *Pseudonym used due to sensitivity of the religious and political context in the area
and know the Lord of peace, prayed Munguti. May this book
become a uniting tool between [one] neighbour and another.
May it bring healing to those that are hurting, restore hope to
those that have been devastated by the tribal clashes that have
dominated this community for years.
Part 5
Primary and Secondary Senses
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish
but may have eternal life. (John 3:16)
T
he worldthis phrase is challenging for Bible translators because
the Greek word kosmon () is used with at least five
Editors Note:
different shades of meanings in the New Testament. Depending
This is the third in
on the context, it may mean the universe, the earth, the
a series of articles
inhabitants of the earth, the way people live in the world, or everyone and
reflecting on the
everything that is alienated from God. John 1:10 illustrates three of these
verse John 3:16
meanings in one verse.
word by word.
When translating words used in a variety of ways, we must distinguish between
The series illustrates
primary and secondary senses. For example, the English word run has the
some of the
primary meaning of motion with quick steps on alternate feet.It also has literally
challenges Bible
dozens of secondary senses. When used with nose, motor or stocking, it has
translators face as
three very different meaningsnone of which would be translated by the word
they seek to present
for run in French, Spanish or most other languages. It is the secondary senses
Gods Good News
of words that create the most challenges for translators, because they are rarely
in every language
transferable from one language to another.
spoken on earth.
In Scripture, words are commonly used in such a way that the whole stands for
one of its parts.For example Luke uses Moses to stand for what Moses wrote
(Luke 16:29), and in Acts 2:4 tongues represent the languages spoken with the
tongue. The technical name for this rhetorical device
is metonymy.
It is the secondary The Greek word kosmon () as used in
Cindy Buckshon
H
ere we concentrate on the sixth element in this fabulous message,
he gave. The verb to give in its primary sense, has to do with
transferring possession or ownership and normally implies material
objects. In contexts such as the abhorrent institution of slavery, people
can also be objects of possession and transference. In English, his only Son
as the direct object of he gave is not incomprehensible. However, in
many other languages it would constitute a serious collocational
clashtwo elements that do not naturally go together.
The unusual nature of this collocation highlights and
draws attention to the statement. To readers steeped in
Bible knowledge, it helps to evoke images of Jesus birth
and His death as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
Readers familiar with Old Testament Jewish history are
reminded of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice
his only son Isaac. Most contemporary readers may
need an explanation such as those offered in study Bibles.
In other languages, the clash between he gave and his only Son may be
even more pronounced. In the Kalinga language of the Philippines, there is no
context for readers to understand the concept of giving ones son. In this case it
was decided to borrow the verb sent from John 3:17, while not retaining the rich
imagery of the original, is necessary to help readers who
have very little biblical background.
Perfect Perfect translation is not possible, and even very good
translation is translation requires difficult choices. Sometimes the
not possible, choice is between two or more possible renderings, each
of which provide only an imperfect representation of the
and even very originally intended meaning. At other times the choice
good translation may be between a rendering that is not quite accurate
requires difficult and one that would convey no meaning at all.
As Bible translators, we need the prayer support of
choices. Gods people so that the choices we make will help
people understand the message in a way that will draw
them to JesusGods communication wrapped in
humanity (John 1:14).
Reprinted with permission from the Canadian Bible Societys Translating the Gospel article series, written
by Hart Wiens, CBS director of Scripture translation. Hart and his wife Ginny served with Wycliffe Canada
in a Bible translation project among the Kalinga people in the Philippines for 19 years. More recently, Hart
has been a Wycliffe Canada board member.
Devotion in Motion
I
remember where I was when I first heard the would come. In a sense, its the peak before the rush
news. As a young graphic designer and relatively down the second half of Vision 2025.
new member of Wycliffe, I was full of optimism Heres where we catch our second wind. While the
but had been around long enough to be jaded by pace has tripled, we need to double it again. All of our
talk of new vision and radical change. We were the best efforts have gone into the progress weve seen, but
kind of organization that did great work, but we were its not enough. Our own effort wont see this vision
meticulous and careful. We were founded on pioneering happen. So, while were catching our breath for the final
and loved change and innovation, but on a small scale.
Yet here I was, sitting in a staff meeting and hearing how
the organizations leaders had just overwhelmingly voted
to change everything. Everything.
It was the summer of 1999, and our leaders had just
voted for Vision 2025, committing to do everything
we could to put Bible translation in motion in every
language in this generation (literally, by the year 2025).
That was the year I fell in love with Wycliffe all over again.
I wasnt in the room at our international conference
to cast my vote. I represent the next generation of
leaders, the ones who would carry out that vision
and be in positions of leadership at the year 2025.
But in 1999 I signed up for life. I wanted to be
around when Bible translation in the final language
was started. It meant everything to me, and I hear
the same thing from our applicants today.
Laird Salkeld
PM 40062756
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