Debate continued to rage yesterday over a controversial project to translate the Bible from English to Jamaican dialect.

Jamaicans, both here and abroad, have voiced opinions for and against the Bible Society of the West Indies project which the Observer revealed on June 16 in a front page lead story.

Since then, the Observer has been receiving a flood aof e-mail from readers commenting on the $60-million project.
According to Rev Courtney Stewart, general-secretary of the United Bible Societies, the parent body of the Bible Society of the West Indies, 40 per cent of the New Testament had already been translated into Jamaican patois, and a portion of that translation, the Gospel of Luke, was now being reviewed by language specialists at the University of the West Indies Language Unit.

One Observer reader who gave his name only as Delano, argued that while we all must learn English, the promotion of the Jamaican mother tongue must never be seen as antithetical to a deeper appreciation of the Queen's language.

"On the contrary, the two linguistic systems, rightly understood, are really allies," he said.

Frequent letter writer Orville Brown sees the effort as part of the broader thrust at undermining the English Language out of a misplaced cultural chauvinism.

"People who speak creole exclusively do so because they are uneducated, just like the London cockney or the Yorkshire man," said Brown. "Creole was developed to serve the needs of village and plantation in a primitive society of mutual incomprehension. It is made up of Africanisms, slang and ungrammatical English. It served the plantation, and is no doubt part of our experience, but those who seek career success in this century need fluency in English. When we reconstruct a car engine, explain quantum physics or perform neurosurgery, we need English. To yoke the languages together is as sensible as leaving the weeds to grow with the flowers in the garden."

However, Paris Taylor from Greater Portmore in St Catherine wrote that while some people feel that the patois Bible will be difficult to read, and that the $60 million would have been better spent by building skills training centres and by providing jobs for the jobless, the project should be embraced.

"The embracing of the idea of a patois Bible might sound like an insult to certain intellectuals who feel it is improper to disseminate information in our local tongue," said Taylor in his letter. "Some feel it should not be taught in schools because people are already having problems with Standard Jamaican English. We have a legacy to protect, we also have a people to serve, hence we must give the people what they want."

Taylor pointed to the fact that Jamaicans abroad speak to each other in patois, saying "No matter where we go, when we want to be understood and heard, we don't speak Spanish, French or German, we resort to what we know best - a very colourful outburst of patois."

He also expressed the view that once the patois Bible is completed, the persons who are now opposed to it will endorse it.

Another reader, who gave her name only as Sonia, was in total disagreement with the project. Her reason was that when Jamaicans in the United States are overheard speaking in creole it doesn't sound good.

"No patois, teach our people English," she wrote.
One letter writer, who asked to be identified only as S J, had no "firm opinion" on the production of a patois Bible.

S J, however, agreed with the people who said the money could be much better spent and that any potential benefits lay in cultural tourism, sales, and a greater cultural identity.
"Let's face it though, this has nothing to do with God - spirituality, or spreading God's word - because... H'ef some people caan h'even read h'english h'i don't know 'ow dem goin' be hable fi read di patwah!" said SJ.

"This takes me to my core problem with the endeavour: what standard of the patois language will be used? Which spellings?," asked SJ. "From what I have experienced, patois is more of a personal language than a national language.
Everyone has his or her patois idiolect (version), especially in this age of text messages, instant messages and e-mails.
Everybody writes it in their own way, and it can at times be difficult understanding another person's version of patois. Patois, after all, partially emerged from our ancestors' struggles getting to grips with the English language, and by all indicators that struggle continues today."

Reader Desiree Tulloch-Reid felt that while the project was "a worthwhile undertaking that should be supported" the people involved should expect some resistance, "as ideas like these do take some getting used to".

Said Tulloch-Reid: "There are those who resisted (and still do) having the liturgy in modern languages instead of Latin at church. Today, many of us Christians still prefer the King James Version (KJV) to modern English versions. To the purist, perhaps even the KJV is inadequate compared to the original Greek or Hebrew. Possibly it's a question of whether one emphasises awe, mystery and tradition in religious activity or accessibility. From the scriptures themselves and the way Jesus operated, I believe God wants us to feel his word is accessible."

Tulloch-Reid, however, pointed out that there are some reservations that seem reasonable, "including the usual concerns with any biblical translation - that it be of high quality and unbiased".

"One might also wonder whether the language, after being so long restricted/confined to more common, practical usage, is sufficiently nuanced to convey complex or subtle ideas from the Scriptures," she reasoned. "However, this has been a concern in many translations. There will certainly be variations in the understanding/use of some expressions; hopefully footnotes will help there. Admittedly also, patois can be a little difficult to read; still, the British manage Burns and even Chaucer."

She speculated that some of the resistance will be generational, because for many Jamaicans, "to speak patois was to 'talk bad'.

However, Tulloch-Reid concluded that if, as Rev Peter Garth suggested, the patois Bible project will generate increased interest in the Scriptures, "this is probably a good thing".
Brenda Sailsman is one of those readers who feels that the $60 million could be put to better use.

"Sixty million dollars is a lot of money to spend on a project like this when there are so many people in this country who are homeless, hungry and poverty stricken," she wrote. "Come on Bible Society, think about these things. How is putting the Bible in patois going to help Jamaican people?"
For Lorna Vines, writing from Washington, D C, the project smacks of playing with the word of God.

"It is amazing to me that this organisation and a few people in Jamaica have decided to translate the word of God into something that has not been recognised or identified as an official language," she wrote.

"What is lacking in Jamaica is the inability to teach and preach God's word consistently to the people of Jamaica," added Vines. "For those who cannot read or write, your patois Bible is not going to help them."

She pointed to the Bible Society's revelation that it had already translated segments of the books of Genesis, Matthew and Mark on cassette and CD, which they have released in the United Kingdom and asked: "Please tell us, how and when did that release help the people in Jamaica to understand the Word of God?"

Vines recommended that the Bible Society use its time and money to possibly give away free Bibles, CDs and cassettes in English, "then encourage the people to go to their local churches, so that they can learn more about GOD and the Holy Spirit who can touch their hearts. Jamaicans' 'heart language' will never be able to do that", she said.

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