Translation

Translation is a fun, yet challenging task. And it's vital for those who don't speak the language. Translation is a big part of the process of formatting your version of the Bible into SourceView.

It's important to understand something about this project: WE DO NOT TRANSLATE THE BIBLE. We simply use a version of the Bible that professional translators have already done.

Our role is to format it appropriately. Part of the SourceView format includes translating the following:

1. the Source name that we label the speaking parts with

2. the reference information of the Bible (book names)

3. the SourceView tools that contain the content (like SourceView Reader segment titles and questions)

For these things we use a type of translation called "Dynamic Translation". Here's a video that may help you understand what we're aiming for in our translations. This video is about the NIV Bible, but it highlights the ways the translators were thinking when they translate words and concepts into other languages.

SEVEN GUIDELINES FOR A GOOD TRANSLATION

by Marcia Suzuki

Translation is both a science and an art. The golden rule is that the good translator will aim for accuracy and naturalness at each sentence. Even if you know well both languages involved in the process, you will need to follow the seven guidelines below in order to produce a translation of good quality and communicative power.

1. No word by word translation. Don't try to translate the text literally, that is, don't translate it word by word. Remember the vocabulary inventory of two languages can be very different - there is no perfect cognates between two different languages. And there is no correspondence in the number of words or structures used to transmit meaning between two different languages. Sometimes you need several words in the receptor language to express what is expressed in only one word in the original language, and vice versa.

2. Focus on the meaning. Make sure your translation is faithful to the meaning of the original text. Don't change the meaning, don't add anything and don't omit any part of the meaning. Make sure the readers will understand in their language the same massage that was communicated to the readers in the original language.

3. Reorganize the order if necessary. Each language has a distinctive way to organize the ideas using its own grammatical and syntactic structures. If you try to keep the same grammatical order or structure of the original text, you might end up creating a alien or disturbing text in the receptor language. Feel free to change the word order or the grammatical structure to make sure the text is natural and makes sense in the receptive language. Always do that without violating the principle number 2.

4. Don't miss the flavor. Make sure you go beyond the pure informational content of the text. You need to communicate the message in the receptor language in a way that the flavor, feelings and attitudes of the original writer are preserved.

5. Respect the style. Make sure you preserve the literary style employed in he original text. If the text is poetic, the translation should be conveyed in a poetic form that is natural to the receptor language. If the text is an exhortation, it should sound as an exhortation in the receptor language.

6. Include some context information if necessary. Make sure your translation represents correctly the historical and cultural context of the original text. Because contexts and cultures can be so different, sometimes the translator needs to add some background information, so the readers of the receptor language understand what those words meant to the original audience.

7. Don't distort the message. Don't let your own cultural, political or theological bias affect the message you are translating.

Follow the seven guidelines above and your translation will reflect the golden rule of being accurate and natural at the same time. And, above all, trust the Holy Spirit to go beyond the words and touch the hearts of the readers with His power and love.