Pioneering in Timor
To move Bible translation forward, the dynamic multi-language team working energetically in the Timor region has had to pioneer in two important ways: software and translation strategy.
As the Wycliffe personnel in Timor introduced computer software for Bible translation used elsewhere, they found that the Timorese translators routinely mangled their draft Scripture files.
“Most of them had never used a computer before,” says Wycliffe's Chuck Grimes, who gives leadership to the national Bible translation movement in the Timor region. “We began to realize that pretty much all of the software is designed for educated Westerners, who already have a body of knowledge about what computers are supposed to do.”
Our Word: "bullet-proof"
He turned to an old Wycliffe friend, John Wimbish, a developer of some previous translation software in the organization. Wimbish, who serves with The Seed Company, a project-funding partner of Wycliffe U.S., created a program called Our Word. Specifically aimed for the low-end user, the “bullet-proof” program has worked extremely well.
“It’s being used on about 50 computers around the world so far. We now have several whole New Testaments that have been drafted on it and are nearing completion.”
Chuck’s record for successfully training someone to use the software is 10 minutes—the amount of time he had with a local translator on one remote island who showed up just before Grimes needed to catch a ferry. That team has been using Our Word effectively ever since.
Another new strategy being use in the Timor region is the “front translation approach.” When the first four language projects started, Grimes expected the work to progress simultaneously. But Timorese teams suggested that the Kupang Malay translation be done first, so they could model their translation on it. Kupang Malay is spoken mostly around the capital city region but is also used more widely as a trade language.
Their request was embraced. Now each team drafts their translations based on the Kupang Malay Scriptures, published and dedicated in 2007. These act as a front translation for all the others, accelerating the time needed to finish each NT.
Before the Kupang Malay front translation was available, several teams tried to draft their mother tongue translations from the Indonesian Bible, which Grimes describes as “difficult for many to understand.” It took six months to draft the Gospel of Mark. The story was far different when the Kupang Malay New Testament was available.
“One guy said it took him 10 days,” recalls Chuck. “Another guy in another language said it took him two weeks.”
Photo by Alan Hood
See related story, Celling the Word
Dwayne Janke is Editor of Word Alive magazine (Wycliffe Canada).
Our Word 的「防彈」程式
他轉身向著一位威克理夫的老朋友韋比殊（John Wimbish）。韋比殊現時在種子公司服侍，這個美國威克理夫的伙伴機構，專門為語言項目籌募經費。韋比殊過去曾在機構內開發了好些翻譯軟件，近日研發的程式名為Our Word，特別為低端用者而設計，其「防彈」程式運作得非常好。
葛謙卓的最快紀錄，是用十分鐘就成功教懂別人去使用這套軟件 —— 當時他在一個偏遠的小島上，一名本地譯經員待他和太太趕忙上船之際才出現。那譯經團隊此後一直使用Our Word，很有效率。
帝汶地區採用的另一個新策略是「前線翻譯進路」。當首四個語言項目展開時，葛謙卓預期工作可以同步進行，可是帝汶本地團隊建議先完成古邦馬來語的翻譯，以之作為其他翻譯的榜樣。古邦馬來語（Kupang Malay） 於首都一帶流通，但更是廣泛使用的貿易語言。
古邦馬來語的前線翻譯完成以前，幾個譯經團隊曾嘗試按照印尼語聖經 —— 那被葛謙卓形容為「對很多人來說難以明白的」翻譯，去製作自己母語的譯本，可是結果要用六個月才完成馬可福音；直至古邦馬來語新約聖經完成，他們改用這譯本為藍本後，故事發展就大大不同了。
攝影 Alan Hood
相關故事, Celling the Word