A Bible memory verse here, a parable there . . . for years Christians in Moldova have been helping us translate bits and pieces of Scripture into their own Ursari Romani* language.
For the past several years, some of them have wanted to begin translating more. The brother to our left started Ephesians; the brother below started Titus.
But there is more to translation than meets the eye--or the ear. What did the original text actually mean? Not the Romanian or Russian (or English) translation you are used to, but the text originally written in some form of Greek?
And what kind of translation are you aiming for? A scholarly version? A literary version (King James comes to mind)? A contemporary version?
And do you plan to write it down or use story-telling and audio recordings? And if you plan to write it down, and your language is generally unwritten, how do you plan to represent the sounds of your language in print? Will you use the spelling conventions of the national language? What if your language uses sounds which the national language does not? How will those sounds be written? And what if the national language has a wacky spelling system (English comes to mind!)?
The most of the other people you see in these photos are members of SIL's Rroma Service Group. They have studied and wrestled with all of these questions--and more which I am not aware of. We are very glad that they are willing to partner with us and with our Romany brothers & sisters in the Republic of Moldova!
*Romany call their language "Romani" or "Romanes."
Romany = Rroma/Roma and Sinti.
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