How did you get interested in Bible translation? A few different things connected. In about 1976, while attending Bible School with missionary service in mind, Janice and I went to a meeting where a student presented what he had learned about Wycliffe and Bible translation. The Dean of Students and we two were the total audience. The person who presented never pursued his ‘interest’, but it stuck to me. In about 1981, we were happily settled in Bellingham, Washington where we had built friendships and found a wholesome church. 

I remember asking Janice if we should give mission service one more try before we settled into the community further. She was agreeable, and I wrote to InterChristo which I characterize as computer dating with organizations. Our profile generated contact from three organizations, one of which was Wycliffe. Being already over age 30 at that point, we applied as teachers. At that time, applicants needed to attend and be accepted at an SIL school, so we headed to Seattle SIL where we were eventually accepted. Finding that linguistics and translation were something I could do, we joined as translators just below the age limit that existed in those days.

That is the polite version. I will spare you the rest of the story which is littered with wrong turns, hope, rejection, and other sorts of pain. But it is worth mentioning since going down this road involves persistence, perseverance, and love. One way that love was evident was when I asked my seven year old son if we should go translate the Bible for people who did not have it. He paused, thought for a bit, and said, “If we don’t do it, who will?” That mixed well with the urging of the Holy Spirit working in my heart since I had come to faith not through a church or a person or a preacher, but through reading a Bible I had packed for good luck as I headed into the desolation of life in the 1970s without Christ.

What gets you excited when you work with others in Bible translation? That is a single question that prompts a many-sided response. One of the fun parts happens when I see the lights come on and people say “I never understood that before”. You cannot translate what you don’t understand, but people seem to try. Another thing that gets me excited is just looking around the table and seeing those godly people loved by the Master. Good colleagues make for good work. Another thing is the understanding that I am working for today as I interact with translation teams and working for tomorrow as we work together to shape God’s message for those who will read and hear in the future. If I was building a bridge across a river it might last for a generation or two, but building a bridge into the heavenlies will last as long as that language does.

What is your consulting philosophy? What has been your consulting philosophy might be a better question. When I started down this road in the late 1990’s, I did what I had learned. Ellis Deibler had been my translation teacher and his emphasis on implied information and semantic relationships saturated my thinking. Later, Relevance Theory had quite an impact, since I saw not only an explanation for how people understood text, but how they misunderstood. Anticipating how people will misunderstand is very helpful for a consultant. Over the years, experience has moved me toward keeping as close to the original text as possible. I also have noticed that while I say that, I do encourage adjustments that foster understanding and shed light on what is in the text. Some adjustments translators make cause as many problems with understanding as they aim to resolve. For a consulting philosophy, I would characterize mine as literary historical. How could God’s message be anything but beautiful? 

Regarding consulting methodology, I favor making all linguistically-motivated adjustments, being careful with culturally-motivated adjustments, and avoiding ideologically-motivated adjustments that blur the Biblical context.

What translation resources do you really value? Many are helpful, but the ones I value are the ones that help me solve current problems. I prefer materials that take me to the original language and history by the most direct route. I usually take a look at Translator's Notes and the UBS Translator's Handbook which deal with many noticeable translation concerns. Neither are infallible but both are helpful. Once upon a time, I found SSA’s (Semantic Structure Analysis) to be helpful. Words and phrases are important, but relationships are essential. Before working on an Old Testament book, I have been reading Robert Alter’s translation, including his notes, to provide an overview. That is as close as I will come to a list. There are many worthwhile resources available that can be used with discretion.

How do you continue to grow as a consultant? Colleagues. Since about 2008 I have been working with a group of translators and consultants in Asia. As they have developed, I have tried to keep up by developing my skills. These are some of my favorite people. Colleagues include people I may have helped along the road, mentoring them as they develop their skills. Some show a focus and capability in Biblical languages that inspires and motivates my ongoing study. 

Conferences provide some benefit but it is usually short term. Conferences are good for content, but much better for contact with colleagues.

In addition to learning with colleagues, reading widely helps. That means reading outside Bible Translation. Lawrence Venuti is one author I have enjoyed who writes in the area of secular translation studies.

How do you share your translation discoveries with others? I believe in the generative power of dialog to produce and communicate discoveries. In the past, when serving as a consultant manager with Seed Company, meetings with other leaders and with individuals provided a venue for sharing understandings. Also, I have usually presented a paper at the BT conference. Some have been considered worthwhile. A few I have considered disasters. I have posted those I don’t consider disasters on Academia.edu.

Since the early years of this century, Janice and I have been mentoring aspiring translation consultants. Doing that has provided opportunities to share our knowledge and skills.

Can you share about a time when you realized you were wrong and what you learned from it? I would be happy to share specifics, but like most people I seem to have blocked the particulars from memory but not from experience. I do remember a few times where I was convinced of a point but met with resistance. Then I investigated further, and found that the other person's position was viable. So, the next day I had an apology to make and worked to set the situation straight. With a grin, I can say that in more than a few of those, my understanding was on the mark. What did I learn? It is important to take a second look when there is resistance. It is important not to be entrenched in your opinion but established in truth and reality. It is important to repair a rift with a genuine apology, not just gloss it over, pretending that nothing happened.

What are your top tips for someone starting on a career path in Bible translation? Perseverance is a good quality. While you may face significant difficulties, you are entering a field where there are treasures hidden for you to find. You are not alone; some of the best people you will know have gone down this road. Work hard at what you love and enjoy the people around you. A good sense of humor will pave your path into the future.

Share something that you learned from a mentor or from a mentee? What comes to mind is not something I learned from a mentor or mentee, but from translators. In my early days as a consultant, I made a habit of asking translators about their translation philosophy. What they said in answer did not always match with what I saw in their translation. I learned that I need to investigate to learn, since answers and observations did not always match.

From an administrator during my first year in PNG when I was complaining - “Yes, it sounds like those people need Christ”. From a mentee who was an avid student of Biblical Hebrew, I learned that I needed to sharpen my Hebrew skills. I am learning to pay more attention to the variation, the tensions, and the differences in mentees to be able to help them develop their consulting skill.

What do you see as the place of the church in Bible translation? Where the church is a community of people serving Christ’s purposes in today's world, it is an essential force to organize, empower, and do Bible translation as part of God’s mission to communicate Christ.

What would you say to young / aspiring translators? I have quite a bit to say on that, but not here. You will find it in a book I am writing: A Guide to Bible Translation Consulting. As I say in the introductory comments, the book is not a handbook. Rather it surveys the terrain of Bible translation consulting, and offers some suggestions. I am hopeful that nearly thirty years of Bible translation consulting will provide a helpful perspective. While that book is written to aspiring and practicing consultants, young/aspiring translators may find things of interest as well. My goal is to include what I would say to someone I am mentoring and more.

Any other comments? While looking back suggests that the good old days are dead and gone, looking down the road suggests that the best is yet to come. While we live in a world of metrics, we are People of the Book, first and only.