Imagine a single individual who speaks fluently in 10 major languages used around the world. Such remarkable speaker is called a polyglot.
Today it’s a rarity for anyone to speak in such a number of tongues. Yet, with the rise of technology’s brightest brainchild – the internet – comes another technological wonder – the website. It opened a major breakthrough in multiple language transmission.
Leading platforms boast of the most number of languages each one uses to transmit messages across the globe. Facebook has support for more than 100 languages, and Wikipedia, dubbed as “the world’s most popular crowdsourced website,” has support for more than 280 languages.
But now comes the website that appears to best them all jw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. As of November 4, 2019, jw.org had reached 1,000 languages, including some 100 sign languages for deaf readers.
For a non-profit cause
Curiously, while most of the world’s biggest websites are commercial ones, jw.org has been put up strictly for a non-profit purpose.
As observed by John Yunker, author of The Web Globalization Report Card, “Commercial websites usually limit their efforts to languages that will be significantly profitable… For Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, profit is not the motive. Their goal is to translate the Bible’s message so that it is accurate, clear and easy for readers to benefit from.”
Yunker further notes, “The jw.org website shows great respect for those who speak languages that may not be supported by Fortune 500. But on a larger level, jw.org is ahead of the curve.
Bible education as greater concern
But why are Jehovah’s Witnesses so concerned about translating the Bible in so many languages, including those spoken by indigenous people within a limited geographical territory?
In a statement from the Witnesses’ branch office in the Philippines, it is noted: “Some 10 years ago, the Department of Education (DepEd) encouraged the use of the mother tongue in educating elementary students. Researchers recognize the benefit of learning in one’s mother tongue or first language. When it comes to Bible education, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that all peoples should be given a chance to learn God’s word in a way that touches their hearts.”
The statement cites a local example: “One of our volunteers for the Blaan community in Sarangani [Southern Mindanao] reports that the people are pleasantly surprised to hear a video recorded in their mother tongue. One local who listened to the translated video said in Blaan, “too fye fanlinge,” which means, “It is so beautiful to listen to.”
How is it made possible
Evidently, Witness translators take special pains to be able to render the original text, in English, that is, in the various languages in a style and in expressions readers will readily understand, whatever their level of education may be.
To do this, the organization has set up remote translation offices RTOs) in strategic locations across the country. These RTOs are manned by highly trained volunteers. Their widely dispersed work sites, it was explained, will enable them to “be where there is a high concentration of native speakers, allowing the translators to be immersed in the language.”
In such an environment, the translators are also able to field-test terms and expressions before using them in publications.
“In the Philippines there are five established RTOs across the country. These are located in Tuguegarao (for Ibanag), San Carlos City (for Pangasinense), Bacolod (for Hiligaynon), Naga City (for Bicol) and Tacloban (for Waray-waray). A sixth RTO is being constructed in Zamboanga City for the Chavacano language.
The three major languages – Tagalog, Cebuano and Iloko – are being translated from the Witnesses’ national office in Quezon City. A fourth language, Filipino Sign Language, is also being translated at that office.
Quality of translation cited
Such great care for the quality of translation undertaken by the Witnesses has caught the attention of a noted translator scholar, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Budin, deputy head of the Centre for Translation Studies at the University of Vienna.
“[When] analyzing the translation work [of Jehovah’s Witnesses] it becomes clear that the basic principles of translation studies, as well as best practices in practical translation work, are fully respected. This manifests itself in easy-to-read texts in multiple language versions of the journal, The Watchtower, for example, while addressing a broad audience of people in each language community,” Dr. Budin commented.
(To be concluded next Sunday)