My Home is in Heaven

    Is it shrewd? Is it sneaky? Is it artful? Is it wily? I have written a lot so far talking about my objections to the MAST process of Bible translation recently adopted by Wycliffe Associates. But I also have other concerns beyond the questionable and highly error-prone translation process they use, and it seems I am not alone in worrying. I have spoken with many people familiar with Bible translation, and many of them have shared alarming things with me. I am not alone in the unrest that I feel about Wycliffe Associates.   Here is a list of 8 strikes against them as pertains to the inner workings of the organization. 1.                 Keeping the Name: The worst example of their poor behavior is their keeping the name Wycliffe Associates . They had 48 fruitful years of assisting Wycliffe Bible Transla...

  Questions about Translation What’s the difference between an interpreter and a translator? An interpreter translates spoken words, almost always in real-time, as a conversation happens. A translator, by contrast, translates written words, and often of a language either old, very difficult or, in Bible translation, newly written down. Why can’t anyone who is bilingual be a translator? Most bilinguals will serve as an amateur interpreter at some point in their lives, for a mother at a parent meeting, for a new employee to learn the ropes, or when traveling with a friend. Professional interpreters, such as at the United Nations, and most translators, on the other hand, are people who train for years, learning their trade, just like those studying to become a pilot or electrician. What other skills are needed to become a translator? The Institute of Translation and Interpreting says to “be a professional translator,...