14-05-2002 19:27:00 GMT Invalid Hora local. Notícia 3655539

East Timor: First Tetum-language Bible Expected by End of Next Year

East Timor will have its first Tetum-language Bible by the end of next year, translator Vicente Soares told Lusa Tuesday.

Vicente, who has already completed the translation of the Old Testament from Portuguese into Timor's most widely spoken language, said he was now working on the New Testament.

The translation project, he added, began 14 months ago at the request of Bishop Basilio do Nascimento, the head of the Catholic diocese of Baucau, East Timor's second city.

A teacher and father of seven children, Vicente, describing Tetum as "quite a rich language", said he backed Dili's decision to make Portuguese an official language along with the dialect.

"We can't just think of language", he said, "there's also history and culture, and Portugal always respected our traditional ways and customs".

SAS/FP -Lusa-

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