Translation truly is an art and I love the process of crafting that I go through with the translators. We take their first draft which they have shaped and molded and try to smooth out some of the bumps and fill in the holes. Although we do examine the details, we have to be careful not to cut it into pieces to dissect or we lose the beauty and meaning of the whole.
Throughout this process I am continually given the opportunity to look at verses through the eyes of the translators. One such time occured when we were looking at Luke 9:1-6. This is the instance where Jesus sends out the 12 disciples to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out demons. He tells them not to take anything with them such as a walking stick, a bag, food, money and clothes. Confused the translators looked at me and asked why on earth would Jesus not want them to take these things when they go? Things like walking sticks are especially useful at night in case there are snakes or another dangerous creatures around. It was a good question that I did my best to answer. I explained that Jesus wanted the disciples to trust God to provide what they needed and focus on the work he gave them to do. This was a good reminder to me as well.
As we moved on to verse four more questions arose. Why would Jesus tell the disciples to stay in one house? Were they ever allowed to leave it? Even after realizing that Jesus meant the disciples should return to the same house every evening the translators were still confused. Why would the disciples be so rude as to refuse other invitations to stay with people? Why not share the burden of hospitality by staying one night with one family, another night with another family and so on? At first I didn't know how to answer that question. It did seem reasonable for the disciples to stay with different families. However after a little more research we discovered that Jesus was trying to prevent the disciples from looking for the best place to stay but instead accepting the first invitation that was given.
These are just a couple simple examples of the creative process we go through when we work on a chapter. It's a matter of discovery, of looking at the verses from a new perspective and trying to figure out what the original perspective was. Then creatively coming up with solutions to help readers understand that perspective. The Bible can be complex and difficult to understand but it is also a beautiful work of art.
1 comment:
Hello,
My name is Kristen and I work on a popular American TV show about people who have recently relocated abroad. For our upcoming season, we are hoping to find people who have relocated to Tanzania. In my research, I came across your blog and am reaching out to you in hopes you might be able to help me find participants for our show.
House Hunters International tells the story of an individual, couple or family who has bought property outside of their native country. Being on our show is a lot of fun for our participants and a great way for them to document their exciting search for a home and new life abroad. It's also a very positive show which offers a wonderful opportunity to inform our viewers about interesting countries and cultures worldwide.
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We would love to film our first ever episode in Tanzania this year, so I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you in advance for your help.
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