Back translation

We did a lot of "back translation" during this translation workshop. It is a translation back into English of the local language translation and it should reflect how the language worded the sentence, but also make sense in English. It is used by consultants to check the accuracy of the translation and since they don't know every language in PNG, back translations have to be made, so that they can see in English, what the local language version says.

Here's an example from part of Exodus 15:25 in Taupota:

The Taupota version says:
Ma maranai i ahare hopunei au waira yana wairana i vira po umana i ahi.

A word for word, literal version of this is:
And when he throw it-out in water then that-water it became so drink it good.
The version above doesn't make much sense in English, but you can see what it is supposed to say. We want it to make a bit more sense for the consultant, so we write a version that sounds better in English and this is called a back translation.

Here's a back translation for this passage:
And when he threw it out into the water, then that water became so that it was good to drink.

My NIV Bible says: He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

Now here's some photos:

Doing some work with Rex from Taupota:

Participants performing a song and dance:

Nice sunset:

Taupota visit

My visit to the Taupota area was good. Nothing spectacular happened, but there was a burial going on, however we missed most of it unfortunately.

It is mango season and again, mangos drop off the tree occasionally and when you hear it snap a start to fall, you worry about the fact that you are sitting under the tree! One time I fetched one that fell and enjoyed eating it, although it was a little bruised.

The frangipanis and hibiscus were in bloom and looking great. There were so many different colours of hibiscus and they were really pretty.

Here are some photos…

Beautiful view:

Mango tree:

Hibiscus:

Another hibiscus:

How do we translate?

I could write an answer to this question that would fill a page, so I'll try to be brief.

There are different stages to translating, some of these are: first draft, advisor check, village check, back translation and consultant check. After each checking session, changes are made to the draft translation, until it is refined and as accurate as it can be. During this workshop I am involved in the first draft, advisor checks and back translation.

You might wonder how I can be involved in the first draft, when I don't know the language. Well, the two Taupota people do the actual translating. I typed for them (not easy when you don't know the language!) and I gave suggestions in English about different ways they could write it. I also explained things to them, such as the meaning of certain words or passages. They told me word for word in English what they had written in Taupota and sometimes I checked the meaning of the words or picked up on something that they hadn't included.

That's the main initial part of the translation process. I will try to write about the other parts another time.

At the village

Presuming that all goes to plan, I will be at a Taupota village while you read this! There is a lady from Global Recordings Network, who has been at Hagita recording some portions of Scripture, and she is visiting the Taupota language group this weekend to record some songs that the people have written in their language.

The Taupota people that I am working with invited me to visit their village too. There is some sort of church celebration happening tomorrow and they wanted to share it with people.

I realise that I have had to give up the comforts of a warm shower, a washing machine and internet access to visit this village (I have counted the cost!), but I'm sure that it will all be worth it because I love being with people in the villages.

Translation workshop

There are about 11 language groups that have come to the facilities at Hagita to participate in this translation workshop. Each language sends three people to the workshop – two of them to do translation work, and one to do literacy work. Each language has a mentor who advises and assists them.

I am working with the Taupota language. They live on the coast and can access Alotau by road. Most of the other language groups came to the workshop by boat.

During this 'module' the groups are translating Exodus 15-17, making adjustments to an information booklet about HIV-AIDS that they translated previously, and writing a fairly literal translation back into English of their Genesis translation.