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Bible translation high on the agenda
TOGO — Translation is a very active area of work for the Bible Society of Togo, with projects in five different languages currently under way. One new translation – the Moba-Lok New Testament – is due to be launched soon. UBS Translation Consultant Dr Joachim Somé, who works in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo, has experienced at first hand both the challenges and the joys of translation work in Togo. “There are always many people involved in a translation project,” he explains. “Whatever role you play, though, it is always very satisfying if you get to see the fruit of your work. I have been fortunate to attend launch ceremonies for a number of the translations in which I have been involved. “Looking ahead, we aim to launch the Moba-Lok New Testament next year. The Moba-Lok project will probably come to an end then, at least for the time being. We cannot proceed directly to translating the Old Testament, as we do not have enough translators who know Hebrew. Good progress “We are also making good progress with the other translation projects: Bassar, Mina, Lama and Kabiyé. Almost all of these languages now have New Testament translations, so we are working mainly on the Old Testament.” Dr Somé highlights two main challenges associated with translation work in Togo. “It can be difficult to encourage the Roman Catholic Church to participate in translation projects,” he admits. “It is sad, but positive developments on a global level have not yet necessarily brought change at grassroots level. Lack of funds “Secondly, we still struggle with the training of translators. Lack of funds limits training opportunities and this in turn has an impact on the quality of translation work. It is vital for translators to gain experience in areas such as Hebrew.” Bible translation still has a long way to go in Togo: of the 42 different languages spoken in Togo, 38 do not even have a translation of the New Testament. As some of these languages are spoken in several other countries, too, a collaborative approach is required. Co-operate “We need to co-operate with other Societies to speed up the translation process,” says Dr Somé. “We must also expand partnerships that have been established with other translation organisations. The challenge is certainly large, but we will somehow have to address it in the future.” For previous stories about translation projects in Togo, see Latest News #345 and World Report 383/4. This report refers to projects 87808, 87810, 87811 and 87812. (WR 407/8 - 12.06) [2 photos] |
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