The Evolution of Translations

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By Georges Michelson-Dupont, Trustee, Manager of Translations, Urantia Foundation, Recloses, France

The fifth epochal revelation, prepared by our unseen friends, was given to our world with the goal of "expanding cosmic consciousness and enhancing spiritual perception."

Exposure to the teachings of The Urantia Book often results in a new and expanded perspective of life; the realization of our origin, history, and destiny. The desire to share this treasure with our brothers and sisters is powerful, and hence the supporting, sponsoring, and funding of translations are high priorities for Urantia Foundation.

Urantia Foundation does not choose which language to translate. The proposal to translate comes from individual readers. One or several individuals have approached Urantia Foundation after having read the book, been moved by its teachings, and been motivated to translate the text for the benefit of others who speak their language. This has been the case for all of our published translations with the exception of the Spanish translation. Professional, non-reader translators were employed for the Spanish translation, and the result was less than we expected.

The timing of each translation is unpredictable. One might think that translations would be done according to the greatest number of potential readers speaking that language. But such is not the case. The French translation came first and was followed by the Finnish translation. Who would have predicted that Finnish, a language spoken by fewer than six million people, would be the second language to have a translation of The Urantia Book?

Has the evolution of translations happened by chance or by design? We have our suspicions, but we really do not know.