Hello!
Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog about Bible translation!
"Why, kowai-kawaii, what an interesting topic! How did you decide to blog about that?"
Well, originally I had thought about blogging about linguistics: how our words, or the way they are pronounced and used, affect how people see us (as in, whether or not there is any resultant discrimination or judgment). Sociolinguistics, I guess. I had wanted to dispel misconceptions of what made a language a language or a dialect, what made something “correct” about a language, if indeed there is any “correctness” involved. That kind of stuff. But I thought about it for a while. Could I really write about that for an entire semester...or even longer? I didn't really have anything to say about this stuff except for what you could easily learn in a class that you can actually take here at this university (a class that I had taken, of course...) I didn't really have anything new to add to this discussion—I just agreed with people and wanted others to know about it all. So I was thinking, along with my roommate, what else did I care about that could be academically related to linguistics?
But first!—here's something you should know about me: I'm spiritual—my spirituality is in Jesus Christ. I know, I know—doesn't it just sound like I might as well say, “Hi everyone, I'm Christian - Protestant! What's your religion according to Facebook?” But really, what I believe—it's not just a label that I slap on to myself for identity's sake. Nor is it just a set of rules that I follow blindly, cuz it's "tradition" or something. No, I'm not gonna just go with the flow, be like the other "Christians"—no rock and roll music, must be home-schooled and vote Republican because it's what God wants you to do. No way. All that I want is to follow Jesus's example. I mean, with all my ability (and then some!) I want to listen to others' differing beliefs in order to respect and love them. But what I hope is to share with you something I find interesting, in more ways than just spiritual—something that also says a lot about people, cultures, and languages.
That's why I'll be writing about Bible translation. And as most people know, Christians—whether the religious, traditional kind or the kind that really wants to make a difference in the world—read the Bible. (Whether they really do what it says is another matter...) What's the point of translating it, especially if that means leaving the comfort of your home, culture, and language? Well, to do as the book itself says, those who choose the spirituality of following God's way are supposed to take this book and its message to
“every nation, tribe, language and people” (Revelation 14:6)so that “every nation, tribe, language and people” can hopefully decide for itself whether or not it wants to choose this way as well. For those who do not have this book in their own language, how are they supposed to read and truly understand it unless it is translated into the language that speaks directly to their hearts and souls?
For that matter, what does translation mean? It might mean finding out exactly what languages are out there: how many are there in a particular area? Which? Do they already have a writing system? What are some related languages? It will definitely mean understanding a new culture and people group. It will mean difficulties and struggles for those going out there to do this work, and it will also mean difficulties and struggles in the work itself. Hopefully I'll get to know more and we can look into the linguistics and cultural differences involved in all of this together!
As with any intellectual exchange, feel free to disagree with me because I'll be happy to reply! This is what a blog is for—it's a dialogue between writer and reader, reader to reader, hopefully to further understanding between different peoples—whether of the same or different nation, tribe, or language.
And so... peace in the Middle East, as my currently sleeping roommate would say...
Check this out!
Go check out "Nyungwe Bible Translation"! As you can guess...it's a blog completely devoted to the translation of the Bible into the Nyungwe language in Tete, Mozambique. Nyungwe is
a language spoken by more than 250,000 people living in the region of the Zambezi River.It's a concise little blog that shows anybody who's interested, from financial and/or prayer supporters to any person like me who has an interest in the subject, a little bit about what goes on in the world of translation. It's not necessarily all that academic, because it's not here to instruct us about how to translate or anything, but it is very professionally written. I believe an American missionary working on the project writes this blog. Based on his post in the May of 2008, linking us to his other blogs, he is David Ker,
a media access specialist and member of Wycliffe Bible Translators based in Mozambique, Africa.Wycliffe Bible Translators, by the way, is probably the biggest organization out there devoted to translating the Bible into all the languages spoken by all the people on Earth. (But more info on them later!)
One post I like is one from April 2006, where more light is shed into the actual process of Bible translation. In my mind when I was younger, I imagined Bible translation to be a dangerous, adventurous journey where a family would go alone into an unknown jungle-or-something and live with the "natives", as the natives do, slowly learning their language and developing a script for it. But now that areas of the world are more developed, I suppose it's more common for things to be done more efficiently as a group effort. With training, nationals are actually doing more of the actual translating now, not foreign missionaries. Computers are available, too.
This post in November 2007 reveals to you the dedication these people have for translation. It's boiling hot in Mozambique, even in November, so the most comfortable place to work is in the shade outdoors!--on little wooden chairs? With our worldviews and living standards, I'm sure I'd be thinking about how my butt's so sore and my feet are all dusty, but really--this is home for others! And reading the previous post, this Pastor Semo (the joyful, smiling man in the picture, I presume)--his wife had passed away about two months prior. That he still has this passion, drive, and joy is completely inspirational to me; it really is a testament to how God heals.
Actually, each post in this blog is a gem--BUT--this blog only averages about 4 posts a year: this is probably due to busy schedules and perhaps limited internet access. Posts are kept short, probably due once more to limited internet access. As for popularity, I suppose it is not that popular--the post with the highest number of comments contain only 2 comments, and a technorati search yields no results. I can't help but feel a bit sad because, you know, I can't help but yearn for more from this blog! More detail, more shtuff! I'd love to know more about the state of their permanent office since they've moved into "the Garage." It'd be great to see a list of the books of the Bible they've completed, too, or to know a little bit more about the individuals in the translation team. I feel as if I'm not getting a big, HD picture of the translation process, just little microscope zooms into some parts. As I said earlier, it's "a concise little blog"--but that doesn't mean that I want it to stay that way!
Ah, well, I guess I'll still be coming back to this site as a reference about ways in which Bible translation occurs. There's not a whole lot, but it's just so cool to be reading about something that's happening right now. In real time. Otherwise, the only contact I'll have with a particular translation process is probably just the finished product. w00t!
--kowai-kawaii
The Lousy Linguist is a baritone.
That is my guess. But as far his literary voice goes, I think he's incredibly funny while still being so academic and informative. He really knows how to use his words. Not surprising, as he's a linguist (a "lousy" one) who specializes in syntax and semantics. His posts range from discussing the meanings of specific words ("think" vs "believe", "call"), to discussing things he's come across (little xkcd comics, Stephen Colbert...) of relevance to the world of linguistics. Thus, his voice may range from more academic, to more casual and critical. And he's not at all afraid to state his opinions and to pick sides (or let us know what side he's already on, I suppose). My favorites of his posts have to be the ones where the reader can tell that he's currently feeling very passionate about linguistics. Namely, the blogs where he is critical of Andrew Sullivan, blogger of The Daily Dish. Why do I like these posts the most? For that matter, why am I even blogging about this site, seeing as how its main topics are syntax and semantics, and not Bible translation?
Bible translation from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek to another, whether English or, let's say, Nyungwe, is all about understanding the meanings of the original words in order to find, hopefully, equivalents in another language. That task itself requires an understanding of the language being translated into. And so, understanding the syntax and semantics of that language is key because if there's confusion and/or disagreement regarding what some words actually mean, or how they should best be used, well... we'd be in trouble. Or shall I say that we are already in trouble if speakers of the English language seem to be "talking bad" already? We often mix up common words ("effect" and "affect," "sympathy" and "empathy," "then" and "than"...the list goes on...) and get rid of specific ones we just don't seem to like ("whom," anyone?). But actually, even if we mix stuff up and put words down and eventually change language, the fate of Bibles seem to be doing okay, as translations get updated and revised to change along with language.
And see, language is forever changing. It has to. There's a certain amount that we should try to regulate, I suppose, so that we can continue to understand each other cross generationally or something, but those that maintain that rules are rules are rules... That is not language. We've got to be flexible because people, society, we change. Prescriptivism is about prescribing the rules for language. Descriptivism is about describing the way language is spoken. Click on his "andrew sullivan" tag, and the two most recent posts imply that the Lousy Linguist is a descriptivist, also stating that Sullivan of The Daily Dish is a prescriptivist.
So part of why I like this Lousy Linguist's posts regarding Sullivan is his vocal ability to critique so humorously without lacking substance (ie, reason and credibility). His character is one that loves the English language the way it is used by the masses (he often Googles specific word phrases to check the popularity and usage of it). He loves his area of study, is offended when others disregard it, and, boy, do his snarky words let us know his mood. Someone who loves linguistics so much really lets himself shine when he comes to defend the subject of study itself and his point of view (check out: Dissin' Linguists and Deer Meat & Semantic Narrowing--and now I know: rhetorical questions are very useful. I'll have to look into that).
The Lousy Linguist's voice is humorous with substance, honest and unafraid of opposition. He certainly does not try to imply that his opinions and thoughts are fact, and he praises, surmises, and critiques while still maintaining a fairly academic tone. He doesn't impose his thoughts on others who differ (though he may directly address them: "Andrew Sullivan! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Take a frikkin linguistics course! Ugh!") The fact that he blogs all of this down communicates to me that he just needs to collect his thoughts and perhaps share them along the way. Yet, there are times when he isn't feeling as diplomatic as one merely "sharing his opinions" (very much to my pleasure). When he declares war on Stephen Colbert, his asyndetic descriptions of Colbert give me joy:
Stephen had the cheekiness, the impudence, the audacity, the temerity, the mendacity, to lump linguistics in with classics and comparative literature in the lowest tier of his new pricing system for college majors...I’ll be damned if I’ll let some plastic-haired, thin-lipped, southern-fried ninny sully the name of my chosen profession.and in discussing MIT linguist Pinker:
I have mixed feelings about Pinker. I admire his contribution to psycholinguistics, even while disagreeing with some of his major conclusions. ...But of late, he seems to have jumped off the deep end of rationality and come to the conclusion that his opinions and intuition are more than that; they are now fact. I think we would all be better off if Pinker got off the lecture circuit and back into the lab and started studying verbs again.Oh, his daring, to criticize so boldly and honestly the renowned Pinker, renouncing him as one who's "jumped off the deep end of rationality." What metaphors! What visuals! If we could all be truly free to blog as we wish, like The Lousy Linguist. To feel fine and unburdened as we talk about what we want to talk about, with whatever voice we want to use. I mean, we could--I could--I guess I'm not personally quite at that step yet. Yeah...I don't think I'm as verbally opinionated (especially out there in the interwebs) as some people are. Maybe it's the Asian in me that's keeping me back. Or something. I dunno.
--kowai-kawaii
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