THE MOST CIRCULATED BOOK.

Evening Star, Issue 22328, 2 May 1936, Page 14

THE MOST CIRCULATED BOOK.

Fow one society to issue ono particular volume, wholly or partially, in seven hundred versions is a marvellous achievement. It is an unparalleled event in tho publishing world. This distinction lias been attained by the British and Foreign Bible Society, to whose world-wide activities numerous references will bo made in the churches to-morrow. When tho society was founded in 1801 its primary aim was to provide copies of the Scriptures for Bio.people of Wales. It has since extended its operations steadily am! continuously, until this year it added the seven hundredth version to its long list. Special interest attaches to the latest issue, since it is a version into Anganiwai, spoken by natives of the Solomon Islands, and compiled by Miss Waterston, a citizen of our Dominion. Miss Waterston has spent eighteen years among tho Solomon Islanders and has translated tho Scriptures into lour of their tongues which had not previously been reduced to writing.

Other Bible societies issue the Scriptures in 286 languages and dialects, making a grand total of 980, with many others still in preparation. Those figures indicate a tremendous amount of linguistic industry. Rude and uncouth tongues have had first to bo reduced to writing, their idioms and forms of thought mastered, dictionaries and grammars compiled before an intelligible version could bo prepared. Only the utmost patience and earn could achieve success in so difficult a task. It is greatly to the credit of innumerable missionaries that they have contributed so largely to tlio cause of philology and anthropology by their diligent researches among aboriginal tribes. The translator’s task is by no means finished. It is estimated that the Scriptures are available for seveneighths of the world’s population if they could but read them, but many people still await the Book in their mother tongue. It is - reckoned that still 300 dialects have to be acquired before the Scriptures will be accessible to the whole human family. This purpose is being steadily pursued. The most momentous item in the history of the Bible Society during its last few years of beneficent activity has been the publication of the Bible in Africaans. For many years the Dutch Deformed Churches of South Africa had use I the Netherlands Bible, and only reluctantly they came to see that it was no longer the language of the common people. It was at last resolved that a version in Africaans should be produced. The translation was received some two years ago with deep gratitude and joy. Within four months 100,000 copies had been sold, and by the end of 1935 at least 300,000 had been circulated. The annual revenue of the British and Foreign Bible Society amounts to more than £300,000. Towards this amount New Zealand contributes about £B,OOO a year.