The MLABTBS

The rakishly handsome Eddie Arthur has proposed a  Minority Languages and Bible Translation Blogging Summit. This is highly appropriate considering that 2008 has been named by UNESCO as the Year of the Minority Languages. I occasionally translate the Bible into minority languages. I’d do it more often if I weren’t stuck in so many boring meetings like the ones I’m attending this week. (I can say that since no one here has figured out how to connect to the Internet except for me and none of them read my blog anyway…)

I have already thought of several topics for my paper on this subject. It’s a shame I can only write one.

I could write on one of these tired topics:

• Why are people still producing new Bibles in English when more than 2,000 languages don’t have a stitch of Scripture?
• Why does the so-called International Standard Version of the Bible not have any Internationals translating it?
• Why are people in the developing world being given condoms for free but they have to buy their Bibles?
• Why do they call it the Word of God when there are actually lots of words. And punctuation.
• Why do none of the people in my Living Bible have faces. Just a big blank. It’s kinda scary.

Well, no one cares about those topics so I’ll have to think of something really spicy in order to provoke comment. I’m almost certain my paper will contain several naughty words and that I will also say rude things about John Hobbins’ translation philosophy. Speaking of ancienthebrewpoetry. Have you noticed anything sinister about his blog? The name of the blog contains an awful code. So awful in fact that if you could decipher it you would probably scratch your eyes out and spend the rest of your life drooling down your shirt. For those of you with strong enough constitutions I’ll give you a hint: an cien the brew poe try. Shocking, isn’t it!

Stop by Eddie’s place and sign up.

Note: I ripped off my second paper topic from a comment made by Iyov about the NIV.