Paratext Lite: Leveraging Low-powered Tablets for Reading, Reviewing, and Revising Scripture

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Year: 2019

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Abstract

Paratext Bible translation software runs on personal computers and continues to be enhanced to meet the needs of translators globally. Yet, while PCs remain the instrument of choice for Bible translators due their power and screen size, their cost and power consumption keep them out of reach for low-income communities with limited power sources. Technology is also changing rapidly and mobile devices are quickly overtaking personal computers today, account for 60% of all Internet use. To leverage the advantages of the mobile platform, Paratext Lite was developed as a companion to Paratext to handle some of the translation tasks. In this way, more of the local community can be involved, and team members can work on revision of the text out in the community where the language expertise is found. This presentation explains how Paratext Lite on Android phones and tablets can be used for Reading, Review, and Revision of the drafted Scripture text to enhance any translation project.

About the Author

Reinier de Blois worked as a missionary Bible translator in south-east Nigeria from 1983 to 1990. He joined UBS in 1991 and served as a translation consultant in Guinea and later in Tanzania. From 2011 to early 2019 he served as director of the Institute of Computer Assisted Publishing, the department in UBS that is responsible for software development for Bible translation and publication. He currently is the director of the Nida Institute at the American Bible Society.

Doug Higby has a Bachelor’s in Religious Education and served as a translator in West Africa on the Fulfulde translation project. After the publication of the New Testament in 2004, he began training others in language software in Francophone Africa. Later, he began training language technology consultants to meet the needs of all the entities and partner organizations in Africa. Now he serves as SIL’s International Coordinator of Language Technology Use.