New technology in Bible Translation

This is so cool. Just this past June a group of local translators in Brazil from the Chibi People, became the first to attend training in how to use Render (a new software tool) which will enable them to do an audio translation of Genesis in one year.

This software was developed through a partnership between Seed Company, Faith Comes By Hearing (FCBH) and Pioneer Bible Translators. This new process is specifically designed for Oral Cultures to be able to receive a high quality oral Bible translation even before a writing system is developed.  

FCBH describes Render much better than I could:
"The software supports the loading of audio recordings of Scripture to serve as sources for translation. A translator or translation team can listen to the source in one or more (up to four) languages, translate orally into the target language, and record the new translation.

Render facilitates the various components of Bible translation, including drafting, peer review, revision, community testing, back translation, and consultant checking, and also serves as an audio workflow management system. It is designed with the oral communicator in mind, so it is intended to be simple, iconographic, and color-driven. However, the goal is to develop a software useful to users with various levels of formal education, literacy skills, and technological savvy."

A couple more quotes

“The oral process requires no compromises to achieve high quality oral translations of Scripture, it is now possible to translate and record first and, if desired, print later.” -Ralph Hill, a consultant in oral translation with Seed Company

“This project is history in the making, and I don’t use that phrase very often,” -Jonathan Huguenin, vice president of language recording and global partnerships at Faith Comes By Hearing

And for those who want to learn a bit more.  Here is a link to a very short video about the process:  https://youtu.be/agZk0ZBxVhA