Bible Translation

Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles continues to provide crucial, practical training for those preparing to translate the Bible or contribute to Bible translation in other ways.

The fourth edition of this classic textbook is a leading voice in addressing the following developments in the Bible translation world:

• The priority of oral communication and its value in drafting, testing, and polishing draft translations.
• The availability of software and online resources specifically designed for Bible translation; exercises and assignments include practice in the use of these resources.
• The increase in Old Testament translation projects worldwide; more examples and exercises from the Old Testament are included.
• The value of partnership and teamwork in translation projects, recognizing the different gifts, skills, and roles of those involved, helping each team member to serve effectively as a member of a team.
• The involvement of local churches and community in the translation process; planning for local responsibility, ownership and sustainability as fully as possible in each translation project.
• The importance of ongoing training for translators, including training translators to train others and preparing capable translators to serve as translation consultants in due time.

  The materials are designed for the classroom but are also suitable for self-study, for example, by those who are already qualified in biblical languages and exegetical skills and are training as translation consultants. A companion Teacher's Manual is also available.

  Documents, references, and links to videos and other published works can be found online at: publications.sil.org/bibletranslation_additionalmaterials.

  Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles has previously been translated in whole or in part into French, Hindi, Indonesian, Kannada, Malagasy, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, and Telugu. For information on translation or repbublishing, contact: sil.org/resources/publications/about/contact.

Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles continues to provide crucial, practical training for those preparing to translate the Bible or contribute to Bible translation in other ways.
Katharine Barnwell (PhD, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) has been involved in Bible translation since 1963 and currently serves as a Senior Translation Consultant.

The book is a veritable multum in parvo, covering in the space of some 300 pages the vast
field of Bible translation methodology (principles) and application (practice) - from initial
research and project planning, to final draft testing and revision. Ernst R. Wendland, PhD

This fourth edition has updated content reflecting recent advances in Bible translation methodology,
including the innovative Luke Partnership workshops. Weblinks are included for
ancillary content such as PowerPoint presentations for use in group training sessions. Larry Jones, PhD

In addition to the basic concepts that we expect, this fourth edition takes advantage
of continued advancement in related fields, such as communication theory and software
tools. Freddy Boswell, PhD

It is suitable for one on-one training, for teaching a group, and even for self-teaching. I would highly recommend
it to anyone seeking to introduce translators to the principles of translation. Ann White, MA Linguistics

The rearrangement of the subject matter in this version, in which the translation principles
are taught first then followed by the procedures, is excellent. The revised table of contents
makes it easy to reference a topic quickly and to search for a topic. Also helpful in this revised
version is the content organisation, in which each chapter begins with an introduction of the
topic followed by common English examples, then introduces other-language examples. Danjuma Nanbol Gambo, MA Linguistics

This is to me still the definitive Bible translator training manual, though published originally
more than forty years ago. Born of the functional equivalence teachings of Nida and others in
the 1960-70s, it is used today across the globe in all the major Bible translation organisations.
I have used it for twenty years with the United Bible Societies, SIL International, the Seed
Company, and with National Bible Translation Organization (NBTO) translators in Africa
and Asia; trainees have ranged from those who had not completed primary-school to highly
educated bishops and professors. Andy Warren-Rothlin, PhD

This is not just an update but a thorough revision that includes Old Testament examples and concerns, recent strategies and theoretical approaches, and advances in computing that contribute to our task. Robert "Bob" Carter, MA Linguistics, MA Hebrew Bible Translation