How many languages has the most translated website in the world been translated into in 2023? One can wonder, “Which website has the highest numbers of language accessibility?” given that there are billions of web pages on the internet and millions of contents are produced virtually every minute.
The website with the highest volume of translations now has surpassed itself! We’re talking a hundred different sign languages and a thousand or more translations. Do you want to know which website has been translated the most globally? We have all the information you require.
What if I told you that the largest IT companies that we are all familiar with today don’t run the website with the most translations?
Nearly 1,000 different languages are involved here. The answer is yes, but shouldn’t well-known companies like Instagram, Facebook, and Google have thousands of translations?
I’m sorry to break the news to you, but despite their popularity, these blogs are nowhere near the most translated website in the world.
Which website has the most translations into other languages? Let me illuminate it’s journey and how it has evolved.
The Most Translated Website In The World Ever
It is no more news that the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, jw.org, is currently the most translated website in the world.
It might sound shocking and unbelievable, but the jw.org website as of January 2023 is now available in 1,055 languages (ranging from Abaknon to Zulu) and over 100 sign languages.
The fact that some of the languages represented on the website are only spoken by 10,000 or fewer individuals globally is even more astonishing. Isn’t that incredible?
The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses have been translating since the 1800s and that jw.org provides online access to the Bible, publications based on the Bible, and the most recent news is even more astonishing.
It captures their organizational philosophy and core beliefs. The website is available to the more than 3.4 billion users of the Internet globally.
If you’ve ever wondered what the second-most-translated website in the world is, look no further. Wikipedia is what it is.
Wikipedia, a worldwide community effort with 312 languages, is the closest website that comes close to delivering information in multiple languages like Jw.org.
Apple is available in over 130 different languages. The European Union has 24 official and working languages, all of which are national languages, as well as two regional languages (Welsh and Catalan), which can be used in select documents co-officially. Google’s search page is available in 149 languages.
By comparison, the home page of the Jehovah’s Witnesses outperformed all three of these websites’ localizations combined, and this record is unlikely to be broken.
The disparity in language variety between the three websites is bolstered by the user data in the opposite direction.
Every day, around 1.7 billion people use Google, and 27 million people read Wikipedia, yet the number of Jehovah’s Witnesses is just over 8.5 million.
It implies that the latter makes every effort to be accessible and adaptable to a growing number of individuals around the world.
Before we get into the details of what jw.org, the most translated website in the world, has to offer, let’s have a look at what translating and translation labor entails.
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Translation Work & Process
Translators are people who convert information from one language to another. Translators transfer written data from one language to another, whilst interpreters operate in spoken or sign language.
A translator’s purpose is for the translation to be read as if it were the original written content.
To accomplish so, the translator must be able to write in a way that preserves the original text’s structure and style while maintaining the accuracy of the original material’s ideas and facts.
Any cultural allusions, such as slang and other idioms that do not translate exactly, must be properly transmitted by translators.
Translators must be fluent in the original language. Typically, they translate into their native tongue.
Almost all translation work is done on a computer, and most translation assignments are received and submitted electronically. Before becoming final, translations frequently go through multiple changes.
Responsibilities of Translators
- Convert concepts in the source language to equivalent concepts in the target language
- Compile information and technical terms into glossaries and terminology databases to be used in their oral renditions and translations
- Speak, read, and write fluently in at least two languages, one of which is usually English
- Relay the style and tone of the original language
- Render spoken messages accurately, quickly, and clearly
- Apply their cultural knowledge to render an accurate and meaningful interpretation or translation of the original message
Translation usually is done with computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools, in which a computer database of previously translated sentences or segments (called a “translation memory”) may be used to translate new text.
CAT tools allow translators to work more efficiently and consistently. Translators also edit materials translated by computers or machine translation. This process is called post-editing.
Having said that, another question is
Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
On their official website the answer is rightly put this way:
“We come from hundreds of ethnic and language backgrounds, yet we are united by common goals. Above all, we want to honor Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and the Creator of all things. We do our best to imitate Jesus Christ and are proud to be called Christians. Each of us regularly spends time helping people learn about the Bible and God’s Kingdom. Because we witness, or talk, about Jehovah God and his Kingdom, we are known as Jehovah’s Witnesses.“
They are a small Christian denomination with more than 8.5 million members worldwide having distinct believes from the mainstream Christians.
They are famous for their door-to-door preaching in over 240 lands. Their headquarters is situated in Warwick, New York.
Anyone can make a reservation for a tour in its offices and printing facilities in the US and other countries.
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What Makes a Website Most Translated In The World?
What is understood here by the most translated website in the world is the number of languages in which the site version is available.
It means that the more languages one can choose from for the website interface, the more translated the website is.
In accordance with this definition, as noted earlier the official Jehovah’s Witnesses website jw.org as of 2023, is now available in 1,055 languages and perhaps we can expect a few more additional new languages.
This linguistic diversity is very amazing. Of course, the Jehovah’s Witnesses website offers translations into many exotic languages in addition to the most widely spoken ones, like English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Covering more than 1/6 of all languages seems to be a tremendous work full of effort and attention when you realize that there are approximately 6,000 languages spoken worldwide.
It is not an easy or simple undertaking to translate religious writings into so many different languages. It needs the backing of a community that is willing to use translation to spread a crucial message.
The work of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Wikipedia websites in many ways demonstrates the ability of the community to translate knowledge even
Glimpse Into the Translation Work of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves designed and built a tool called MEPS computer an acronym for Multilanguage Electronic Phototypesetting System.
MEPS is a computer system for preparing material for production on printing presses, primarily offset presses.
The heart of the system is the MEPS computer, a multi-language system, which is housed within a frame that is, approximately, a three-foot cube.
The shaping into pages of the written text is done electronically, using what is called a MEPS graphics terminal. Then the MEPS phototypesetter puts the pages in the form used to produce plates for the presses
It is noteworthy to say that people, not machines, do the writing. Also while MEPS can process many different languages, it does not translate from one language to another!
It is people who do the actual translating. Machines are unable to replace humans as truly effective translators, a person who knows the language has to do the translating, and the translated text has to be entered into MEPS.
The MEPS graphics terminal has been designed to display a great variety of languages. How has this been done?
The keys on the keyboard have been made so they can be redefined, that is, they can electronically be altered to care for any language for which the computer has been instructed, or programmed.
Sample Translation Illustration Using MEPS
Let’s illustrate this by examining what happens when a Spanish translator, working with a typewriter, translates text from English to Spanish.
The translator has the English text before him on paper. Using his knowledge of the languages, he translates the thoughts from English so that the Spanish reader can absorb the ideas that were originated by the writer in English.
But the translator cannot type the Spanish text with an English typewriter. Why not? The Spanish language has accented characters that are not found on an English typewriter.
He needs a Spanish typewriter. And that’s what the MEPS graphics terminal provides. To get the Spanish keyboard, a simple command is punched that alters the keyboard to that of the Spanish language.
Programming MEPS to take care of all these languages has been no small task, and there is still much to do!
Any professional translator will tell you that translating a website into 5 or 10 languages, and managing translation and publication is no easy task.
Translation in over 1,000 languages is a massive effort. Jehovah’s Witnesses have translated meticulously towards their goal and have succeeded in providing their audiences with the texts in the language of their choice.
As they are engaged in spreading their word in virtually every spoken language in the world, they use each new publication actively and immediately in their activities.
Much of the translation is done by well-trained volunteers who work in some 350 remote translation offices around the world.
In one of their widely distributed and popular publication, Awake!, an interview with one of the translators was published (Awake 2016 No. 3) with a beautiful caption: Breaking the Language Barrier—A Look Behind the Scenes. Here is an extract from the magazine.
Q: How do translators typically carry out their work?
“I work with a team of translators, so good cooperation is the key. Together we explore solutions to tough translation problems. As we do, we consider not just words but groups of words. We weigh their real meaning and intent, constantly reminding ourselves of the target audience for each article.”
Q: What is your goal as a translator?
“Our goal is for the reader to feel as if the material were originally written in his mother tongue. It should not read as a translation. To that end, we try to use language that is natural. In that way, we will hold the reader’s attention, and he will keep on reading as if he were eating delicious food that is easy on the palate.”
Q: What advantages are there in living where the language is spoken?
“Mingling with the local people is a rich resource. We hear the language spoken every day. Plus, we can field-test terms and expressions to find out if they are natural, understandable, and appealing. This helps us to convey the real meaning of the original text.”
Q: How is your work organized?
“A team is assigned to each project. First, each member of the team reads the original to get the feel of the material and to discern its basic structure and the target audience. We ask ourselves: ‘Where is the article headed? What is its theme and purpose? What do I expect to learn from it?’ This step gets our imagination going.
“Next, the team members share their thoughts, learning from one another. Are we sure we understand the material? How can we convey the same style as the original? Our aim is to elicit the same reaction in readers of the translation as the original writer intended for his audience to experience.”
Q: How do team members collaborate?
“Our aim is for readers to understand the text the very first time they read it. To that end, we read each translated paragraph aloud several times.
“The translator types a paragraph in the target language, which we can see on our computer screens. We check that no ideas have been omitted or added.
We also look for naturalness, proper spelling, and correct grammar. Then someone reads that paragraph out loud. If he or she stumbles when reading, we ask why.
Once the whole article has been translated, one team member reads it aloud while the others make notes, highlighting problems that might need to be fixed.”
Q: That sounds like intense work!
“It is! And by the end of the day, we are tired. So we look at the material again in the morning when we’re fresh.
Some weeks later, the Writing Department sends us final adjustments to the original text. Then we reread our work with fresh eyes and ears and refine it.”
Q: What computer tools do you use?
“Computers still cannot replace human translators. But Jehovah’s Witnesses have developed translation tools that help to streamline our work.
One tool is a type of dictionary in which we accumulate commonly used terms and phrases. Another tool enables us to research everything that has already been translated by our team and see previous creative solutions to our translation challenges.”
By translating their website and the materials available there to more and more languages they provide access to a wider audience and possibly convert more believers to their faith.
In fact, they have started with the translations of their publications.
The expansion of the number of languages supported on the website of Jehovah’s Witnesses was just the logical continuation of their active preaching worldwide since more people now go online and the number of active internet users is constantly growing.
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Useful Features of the Website
On JW.org, the most translated website in the world, statistics shows that from August 27, 2012 to August 31, 2014 (just 2 years)
- jw.org is available in more than 540 languages
- Publications are available for download in over 700 languages
- 850,000,000 total visits were made to jw.org
- Over 4 billion Web pages were viewed
- Over 1 billion publication files were downloaded
- Over 159 million videos were viewed or downloaded
- 100,000 online Bible study requests were received
On the landing page of jw.org you can switch to a language of your choice. There are five tabs you can access too.
They are: Home, Bible teachings, Library, NewsRoom, and About Us.
Under each tab are different sections. Also when you visit this unique website, you can do the following:
- Read the Bible and Bible-based content in different languages
- View content in more than 90 sign languages.
- Listen to audio dramas depicting exciting events in the Bible.
- See Bible events come to life in the form of illustrated stories.
- Watch Bible dramas and videos that will help you to face life’s challenges.
- Download e-books, magazine articles, and audio files, every one of them free.
- Research a variety of topics using Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY—the gateway to a wealth of information, available in over 720 languages.
There are different sections on it targeting different class of people.
They are the Couples & Parents section, the Children section, the Teenagers section, the Bible Questions Answered section, the Request a Free Bible Study section, the Frequently Asked Questions section, among others.
Another beautiful feature is the JW Broadcasting. Since its launch in 2014, the Internet television station, JW Broadcasting (tv.jw.org. recently merged with jw.org) has increasingly provided encouragement and spiritual refreshment to countless viewers around the world.
It is surprising that the world’s most translated website is not a commercial platform of some multi-billion corporation but an official web portal of a nonprofit religious organization established around the early twentieth century.
Their 2020 Regional convention that was held online on jw.org was made available in over 500 languages.
The decision was taken after it became clear that the COVID 19 pandemic would not allow them to hold physical gatherings of the convention as it was usually the case before.
Translation Process
The following below is a typical process adopted by Jehovah’s Witnesses in translating both hard copy materials and online materials.
As a case study, we follow the process of translating Awake! into the Spanish language.
- A team of translators in Spain receives the original text in English from the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States
- Each team member analyzes the text carefully
- Preparing to begin translation, the team meets to discuss the original text
- Translators make sure that the translation is natural, clear, faithful to the original text, and grammatically correct
- After final approval, the translated text is sent to various facilities for printing and distribution
- Readers around the world benefit from the Bible’s practical wisdom in their own language
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Apps Relating to Jw.org
- In 2014, Jehovah’s Witnesses released JW Language, a free electronic app to help when teaching the Bible in foreign languages, such as Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Myanmar, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Yoruba, Thai, and Turkish. To learn more, visit jw.org and look for JW Language at the bottom page.
- Another tool is the JW Library app. It is a free app (software application) that will allow you to download the Bible and other publications, videos, and audio programs to your phone, tablet, or computer.
Visit jw.org to download the app free or go online, and install JW Library from an app store. The app is available for various devices.
While online, open the app and choose the items you wish to download to your device.
Once publications are downloaded to your device, you do not need to connect to the Internet to access them.
Because new features are regularly added to JW Library, you should go online from time to time and install app updates when they are available.
3. JW Library Sign Language is another app made by Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is an official app that downloads, organizes, and plays sign-language video from jw.org.
Summary of the Most Translated Website
There you have it, you now know everything you could ever ask for about the most translated website in the world – JW.org.
Interestingly, recently in 2020, Jehovah’s witnesses released the completely new world translation of the Bible in American Sign Language the first in the world! Parts of the Bible are available in 17 sign languages, with more on the way.
What did you think? Let’s have your comments in the box provided below.
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Congratulations for that article! It is awe-inspiring the translation efforts behing jw.org.
I loved the point where they said other’s companies will never surpass or are unlikely to surpass Jehovah’s witnesses because “translation companies charge too much”. Since Jehovah’s witnesses are all volunteers, labor isn’t the same limiting factor, and people work harder when motivated by love. I’ve had the privilege to build and remodel Kingdom Halls over a 25 year span. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life, and I used to do construction for a living. I can also say beyond a doubt, it was the most satisfying work I ever did, and I’m 62. Jesus said “there’s more happiness in giving than receiving, and I can personally vouch for that. Health problems limit what I can do now, but I look back fondly on the precious memories in that form of kingdom service. I also look forward to the day that Isaiah spoke about “when no resident will say I’m sick”, and Revelation 21:3,4 where God will eliminate tears and death. The building and teaching that Jehovah’s witnesses do today, foreshadows the building and teaching of all the resurrected ones who’ve died but are in Jehovah’s limitless memory.
There seems to be something special about this group. We can all learn from them.
What a privilege to have supported the translation work since 1962 and continue to do so.
Because Jehovah’s Witnesses love all sorts of people all over the world
All work is done by volunteers, amazing!! “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited Earth” Matt. 24:14