An Update on the translation of The Urantia Book into Turkish sponsored by the Urantia Book Society of Greater New York (UBSGNY). While on vacation in Turkey this November, Eileen and Peter Laurence met with Bill Rocap and the Turkish Translation Review Team. They are gathering regularly to read and discuss the work being done by their professional translator. To date about 20 of the first papers have been translated. You can follow the progress on http://www.urantia.info/. The papers are being posted as they come in and treated as works in progress. The Translation Oversight Committee (TOC) has already completed translations of The Urantia Book in Korean and Russian. Their translations are freely available to any individual or group of readers interested in reading them. They are posted on the web and are available for download. TOC's spirit of generosity is palpable. It was clear to Peter and Eileen that the Turkish study group loves the papers and wants very much to be able to make them available to their people, most of whom do not read English. Jesus is well known and respected as a prophet in their Muslim world. They find The Urantia Book's description of his life and works more acceptable and understandable to them than the way Jesus is described in the Bible or by Christian theologians. Bill, Peter, and Eileen attended a review session with an intent group of three Turkish citizens who know English, and one Ukraine who knows English - some Turkish, and consulted the Russian translation on her computer to follow the review work. You can imagine the interesting discussions that flew around the room when debating the translator's choice of words! The Review Committee in Turkey is eagerly anticipating being able to read the entire book, but they will have to wait a little while. The present rate of work and cost of the project will take about 6 years and $100,000 to complete. Eileen Laurence is the chair of TOC and its chief fund raiser. She is grateful for the elite large contributors and was uplifted at the last Society meeting when enough money was donated from the membership to sponsor yet another complete paper! "Every gift helps, no matter how large or small," says Eileen. If you would like to join the growing group of supporters, your tax deductible contribution will be most welcome - no amount is too small. To donate, please make your gift payable to "SGNY Translation Fund" and mail it to: Turkish Translation, c/o Clark, 4 Horizon Rd. Apt. 1202, Ft. Lee, NJ 07024. We thank you for your interest and generosity. If you have any questions, please contact Eileen at translations@Urantia-NYC.org
Coast of Turkey
Turkish Translation of The Urantia Book Launched
This Summer the Urantia Book Society of Greater New York (UBSGNY) began a translation of The Urantia Book into Turkish. “This opportunity came our way and we just found it irresistible,” said Eileen Laurence, the UBSGNY Translation Oversight Committee Chair. “It so happens,” Eileen said, “that long time UB reader, Bill Rocap, lives in Turkey now and has volunteered to facilitate the process.” Bill knows a group of Urantia Book readers in Turkey who read the book in the original English. He also helped the TOC find a competent translator and negotiate a contract with him. “A Turkish translation just makes a great deal of sense,” Eileen says. “Turkey is a country of about 80 million people, almost 100 percent of whom are Muslim (mostly Sunni). Unlike most of the other Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey is a reasonably stable, secular democracy with an average literacy rate of close to 90 percent. Turkey straddles Europe and Asia and its political and cultural influence, particularly in the Middle East, seems to be growing. Turkey has for many years tried to become part of the “European community.”Given all this, it seems to us that there is great potential for effective dissemination of The Urantia Book through this translation effort with an extremely low probability of official governmental suppression.” The Turkish translation is UBSGNY’s third translation project. The New York society has already completed translations of the UB into Korean and Russian. The society considers translations of the UB to be one of the most important and effective tools available for the dissemination of the revelation. Seven of the eight current members of the UBSGNY Translation Oversight Committee have each accumulated twenty years of experience managing translations and related activities. “We consider any translation of The Urantia Book to be a work in progress that can always be improved,” Eileen says. “Any translation completed by UBSGNY is and will continue to be freely available to any individual or group of readers wishing to improve it. Our translations are posted on the web and are available for download.” In addition to chairing the society’s TOC, Eileen is also the committee’s chief fund raiser. “We are very grateful for the contributions that people have already made toward the project,” Eileen said. “We have a few large contributors who were on board before we went public with this, and at The Fellowship’s IC 2011 in Salt Lake City many General Councilors contributed generously.” UBSGNY has raised some funds toward this effort but more money is needed.Your tax deductible contribution will be most welcome - no amount is too small.To donate, please make your gift payable to SGNY Translation Fund and mail it to: Turkish Translation, c/o Clark, 4 Horizon Rd.Apt. 1202, Ft. Lee, NJ 07024.We thank you for your interest and generosity. If you have any questions, please contact our chair person, Eileen Laurence, translations@Urantia-NYC.org
Please feel free to make your tax deductible contribution via the button on the right. Your donation to the Turkish Translation Project will be most appreciated - no amount is too small.
