The importance of Bible translation is of such great importance that at least one book of the scriptures has been translated and published in 2009 languages and dialects.
Professional translation of the Bible is the greatest undertaking of inter-lingual communication in the history of the world. Bible, the holy book of Christianity consists of the following:
The history of Bible translation is divided into three main periods:
The Greco Roman period
The first translation of the Hebrew Bible was The Septuagint. The term Septuagint literally means “translation of the seventy interpreters” in Latin and “translation of the seventy” in Greek. The Septuagint was the translation of the Hebrew Bible and some of its related texts into Koine Greek. This first professional translation of the Bible is also called the Greek Old Testament, is also quoted a number of times in the New Testament. The Septuagint dates back to the second and third centuries BC, but the Latin name Septuagint was given to these translations by Augustine of Hippo, in between the years 354 to 430 BC.
To translate the Bible and be included in the Library of Alexandria, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, the Greek King of Egypt required translation services of seventy two of his Jewish scholars. A story in the Tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud explains this “King Ptolemy once gathered 72 Elders. He placed them in 72 chambers, each of them in a separate one, without revealing to them why they were summoned. He entered each one’s room and said: “Write for me the Torah of Moshe, your teacher”. God put it in the heart of each one to translate identically as all the others did.”
During this period the New Testament was also translated into Latin. Subsequent translations of both the New as well as the Old Testament into many Middle East languages also took place. Some of these languages were the Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Persian and Gothic.
The Reformation and the Modern period
In the Reformation period the Bible was translated into many European languages. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German language. A notable Bible translation of the time was that of William Tyndale, whose translated version later formed the basis of King James Bible. It was the translated version of King James Bible which became the Authorized Version of the Bible and had great impact in Modern period translations of the Bible. Notable professional translation of the modern times were the English Revised Version of 1885, American Standard Version of 1901, Revised Standard Bible of 1952, the New Revised Standard Bible of 1989, the New American Bible of 1970 and the New English Bible of 1970. Subsequently various translations for languages of the missionary world were undertaken by eminent translators of the time.
Looking for an experienced translation company to handle your next translation project? We can help! Find out more about our premier services by calling us at +44 (0)20 3940 3255. You can also email us at info@universallanguagesolutions.co.uk. To get an estimate for our services, please complete our free quote form to get an instant quote.
It may be a small world but communicating effectively in a global market place is a big challenge.
Universal Language Solutions is the company of choice for some of the world’s best-known brands who trust us to meet their translation and interpreting needs.
Combining the latest technology with the skill of our professional linguists, we offer a complete range of cost effective translation services in over 140 different languages, with the capacity to turn work around quickly to meet your deadline.
One thing that needs no translation is quality. Our experienced translators and interpreters take the utmost care to provide reliable, bespoke translations so you can be safe in the knowledge that what we deliver is accurate and meaningful.
How do you charge for translations? +
We charge a “per word” rate. The rate per word depends on the language combination, complexity of the subject matter and the turnaround time you require.
How do I count the words in my document? +
Doing a word count can be tricky, especially if your document contains pictures with embedded text or you have a PDF. The easiest way to get a word count is to send us all of your documents and let us do the word count for you. We have advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programs that can do word counts on any document or image and in any language, including Asian and Middle Eastern languages. Alternatively, if you’re working from a Word for Windows document that contains only text, Microsoft Word 2007 shows the word count in the lower left-hand side of the application.
How long will it take to translate my document? +
We endeavour always to meet our client deadlines. For very large projects we will assign as many translators as required to ensure the deadline is met.
What method should I use to send my documents, and how do you send them back? +
The best way to send the document(s) is to email us a copy of your document, or to upload it using our free quotation form. Alternatively you can send your document by fax or a photocopy by post. We are able to receive both PC and Mac formats, although our staff and administrators mostly use PC-based systems. We can send you your completed translations in any format and by any method you require.
Why an online translation service? +
Quite simply to save you time and money! Who has the time nowadays to carry documents up and down the UK for a translation? It is obviously much more comfortable to upload a document or email it as an attachment without leaving your home or office.
Can I deliver/collect the documents in person? +
We offer online translation services, but on rare occasions where a document is extremely urgent some clients do come in person to collect their material. However, it is much more practical to deliver documents using our website or by email, or post, where these options are viable.
How much do I have to pay extra for the translation to be posted to my address? +
The answer is short: Nothing at all. The cost of sending the translation by First Class Royal Mail is included in the price of service. In special cases, for a £15 surcharge we can use the Royal Mail Special Delivery service, whereby the delivery is guaranteed on the next working day after posting.
Who performs the translation? +
We use our in-house translators who specialise in western European languages. For any other combinations we have a team of high quality, certified, freelance translators with impeccable credentials and extensive experience. They are responsive, talented, trustworthy and 100% committed professionals with whom we have built and established a solid working relationship over time.
How do you ensure your translations are accurate? +
All Universal Language Solutions Ltd translations are accurate. We have designed our quality control system to allow each team member to perform their functions in real time, supporting each other’s specialised functions, checking each other’s work, sharing terminology databases and research. Continuous process improvements are built in. Our project management system adapts to the needs of any project, bringing in different and complementary skill sets as required.
How do you enforce confidentiality? +
We recognise that legal translations require absolute confidentiality. Every team member who handles your document signs (1) an in-house corporate non-disclosure agreement, and (2) a project-by-project confidentiality agreement. Our project management system allows us to control exactly who has access to your documents, and levels of access are adjusted according to the role of the authorised team member.
Is a more expensive translation necessarily a better one? +
In this industry, as in many others, it is usually true that you get what you pay for. When hiring a reputable company (like Universal Language Solutions Ltd) for a translation project, you are paying for their extensive resources and experience. If you care about the quality of your project, you should care about the quality of the translation. A poorly-executed translation will do more than just confuse its intended recipients, it might also destroy your professional reputation.
Sworn or certified translations? +
Yes. Universal In the UK, the sworn translation is purely theoretical whereas it is typically the principal term used overseas for official translations. The UK equivalent is simply referred to as a ‘Certified Translation’ and this is what the main UK authorities and institutions will require as part of an application.
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