PUBLISHERS OF ONE BOOK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22834, 19 March 1936, Page 11

PUBLISHERS OF ONE BOOK

TRANSLATIONS TOTAL 702 BRITISH BIBLE SOCIETY (Fkom Ova Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON, February 8. In the first few weeks of their stay in London visitors from overseas make a pilgrimage to a large number of the famous and historical buildings, but it is doubtful if they include in their programme n visit to the Library of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Yet here may be seen for the asking copies of all the rare editions of the Bible. As a library, it is unique, for though it contains 19,000 volumes, it is devoted to only one book. The 19,000 volumes represent the Bible, or portions of the Bible, in over 964 different languages and dialect's.

The library is as old as the society itself. The earliest gift of books came from Mr Granville Sharp. The library has Ijpcn graually increased by copies ot the society's own versions and editions, while rare copies have been purchased by funds specially subscribed for that purpose. In 18!)0 over 1200 English Bjbles'and Testaments were acquired from the collection of the late Mr Francis Fry, of Bristol; and in 1009 part of the remarkable collection of the late Dr G. D. Ginsburg, which is specially rich in early printed editions in Hebrew and German, was added. Visitors are welcomed at the premises of the Bible Society after 5 o'clock two days in the week. The building itself is a remarkable one. The foundation stone was laid bv King Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, in 1866. Bible House is probably the most stately and impressive home of any missionary society in the world. Tt stands in Queen Victoria street near The Times office, and recent excavations not many yards away have disclosed the pillars and arches of the old Blackl'riars Monastery, where John Wyclifi'u appeared to answer for his heresies before the Legate of the Pope. Over the principal entrance i* carved on an open book in stone " The Word of the Lord Endureth for Ever." An inscription just inside the porta! records that "This House, erected by means ot funds contributed specially for the purpose, was commenced in tho year 1866, and completed in 1868." The Victorian builders did things rn the grand manner. On the first floor is a spacious and beautiful chamber, known as the large committee room. The walls are hung with portraits of the society's former presidents. Lord Teignmoufli and Lord Bexley, Millais' noble painting of the Earl of Shaftesbury, portraits of the Earl of Harrowby and of the Marquess of Northampton—together with a large picture of " Luther's' First Study of the Bible," by E. M. Ward. There is also a portrait of the actual president, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught. The room has

associations of peculiar interest from the fact that hardly any representative missionary visits London from the foreign field without attending a meeting of the committee to testify to the power of the Bible among the heather in distant lands. On the next floor is the spacious library, where it is possible to spend many interesting hours. Every evening all the most precious and irreplaceable volumes are wheeled away to a strong room. The latest of the translations —the 702 nd —is displayed. This is in the Dogbane tongue spoken by natives of the Gold Coast. No haphazard methods are employed in the translations. It may be' done by one man or woman —generally a missionary—but it is then subjected to a committee of the natives and other Europeans on the spot. After that the translation has to go before a board in London, who have the assistance of all the experts in a particular language to be found in this country. The Gospel of St. Luke in Anganiwai, which was translated by a New Zealand missionary, Miss Clara Waterston, was the 700th language to be translated. During her 18 years' stay in the Solomon Islands she translated the Scriptures into various dialects.

When the Bible Society began in 1804 the Scriptures had been translated into no more than 72 languages, but by the time it had been in existence 20 years it had published or circulated versions in 100 languages. It took 47 years to reach the second hundred; but the third was reached in 21 years; and the fourth in 14 years. In ll" years (1900-17) the fifth hundred was added; in 11 vears more (1917-28) the sixth. It has taken less than eight years to add the seventh hundred. A simple calculation shows that the Bible Society has issued a Gospel in a new language every four weeks during the last seven years and a-half. The greater part of the London headquarters is used as a warehouse for Bibles. No printing is done by the society itself. On two top floors are the printed sheets in the 700-odd languages. When an order is received for a certain number of Bibles or Testaments in a certain languaee the sheets are sent out to the bookbinders, and they return to Bible House in their fresli covers. From the large packing room on the ground floor about 11.000 volumes on an average are packed and sent out every working day. These, however, represent less than n-qnartCr of the society's total output. For its foreign versions it endeavours to employ printers and binders in the countries for which the books are produced, wherever this can be done efficiently and economically. Conies of the Scriptures in Chinese are beimr printed, for instance, in China in ever-increasing numbers.

One floor of the building is devoted to bound copies of all languages which have been ordered, and another floor entirely to Enclish versions.

For every £1 spent by the society on production it is expected to receive 8s for the sale of the books. The other 12s is subscribed by the public. Money, of course, is collected in the Protestant churches throughout the world. The shilling English Bible costs Is to produce. On some of the higher-priced books the society actually makes a small profit.