Close
to Jehovah Bk.
(Simp.-Pīnyīn-Eng., Scriptures, EPUB)
Updated 2023-12-19
Related Links
- Short link: tiandi.info/cl
- Close to Jehovah Bk.
(Simp.-Pīnyīn-Eng., Scriptures, Web)
(Ch. 10 to the last ch.) - Close to Jehovah Bk.
(3-Line, XLP-iPhone-A5, LN-A, Scriptures, Revised Text PDFs)
(Ch. 1 to Ch. 9)
Contents
- Introduction
- Advantages of the EPUB Format
- Disclaimer
- Downloading and Opening the EPUB Files
- Using the EPUB Files in Apple Books
- Updates and Other Information
- *** Chapter File Links ***
Introduction
The EPUB files linked to below complement the Simplified Chinese text of the Close to Jehovah book by adding Pīnyīn and English, both to the main text and to the full text of the cited scriptures.
[Note: The material in these EPUB files was based on an older printing of the Mandarin Close to Jehovah book.]
The material is converted from the corresponding material in the PDF files that used to be at 3lines.org, and the Pīnyīn, English, formatting, etc. are enhanced as time allows.
Starting with the Chapter 20 material, in the fully edited sections the Pīnyīn line is treated not just as a pronunciation aid, but as being of a full writing system, with the capitalization, punctuation, numbers, etc. rendered accordingly. Thus, you can just read the Pīnyīn line without your eyes having to bounce back and forth between it and the Chinese characters line.
Advantages of the EPUB Format
EPUB annotation in Apple Books
Being in EPUB format allows this material to benefit from the advantages of this format, including:
- Broad hardware and software support
- Easy enlarging and automatic reflowing of the text to accommodate displays of various shapes and sizes,
including those of many mobile devices
- This is especially an advantage compared to the situation with PDF files, which have preset page sizes and line endings baked in. As a result, PDF files are often cumbersome and difficult to read on smaller mobile devices.
- Offline use
- Since EPUB files have been available from jw.org for a long time, many publishers in the Chinese fields are now familiar with how to download EPUB files and use them offline.
- Annotation (notes, highlighting, etc.) support
- EPUB files can be easily annotated by users in apps such as Apple Books, which runs on the iPad, the iPhone, the iPod touch, and Mac computers. There are also apps that annotate EPUB files on Windows, Android, etc.
- Hyperlinking that is familiar and expected, and that thus will get used and benefitted from
- Taking advantage of this, scripture references in the main text are links to the full text of the cited scriptures. There, links are provided for returning to the referring citations in the main text.
- Links are also provided for “teleporting” to specific paragraphs.
- As well, links are provided as necessary for going to any footnotes, etc., and for returning from them to the main text.
- Producibility and editability with simpler, more accessible, more mobile tools
- Whereas at this time Microsoft Word running on a desktop or laptop PC is needed to produce satisfactory 3-line PDF files, this plain text-based 3-line material can be satisfactorily largely produced and edited with even an app running on a mobile device like an iPad.
Disclaimer
This is not a publication of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and if a Close to Jehovah book is available, this material should be used along with it, not instead of it. This material is only meant to help publishers working in the Mandarin field, so that they can more quickly become more effective at preaching and teaching the good news to Mandarin-speaking people without being unnecessarily obstructed and delayed by the complex and difficult-to-learn-and-remember Chinese characters.
IMPORTANT: Please do not use this material as an excuse or as a crutch to just “get by” or “muddle through” at Chinese meetings or Bible discussions. By all means, make good use of this material in such settings, but most importantly, use this material to help you really improve your knowledge and understanding of Mandarin, so that you can 1) listen with more understanding and 2) speak more effectively from your heart while praising Jehovah and preaching and teaching the good news in the Mandarin field.
Downloading and Opening the EPUB Files
To download and open the files on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch:
- If Apple Books is not already installed, go here to download and install it from the App Store.
- In Safari, tap on the desired chapter file download link below.
- In the dialogue box that appears, tap on the Download button. The linked-to EPUB file should then be downloaded to your iCloud Drive > Downloads folder.
- Switch to the Files app. There, navigate to the iCloud Drive > Downloads folder, which should now contain the EPUB file that you just downloaded.This EPUB file should be represented by an Apple Books document icon. If so, tap on the icon or the filename to open the EPUB file in Apple Books.
- After the file opens successfully in Apple Books, you may delete the downloaded EPUB file from the Files app if you wish.
To download and open the files on a PC or a Mac:
- Right-click on the desired chapter file download link below and select Save Link As..., or Save Target As..., or Download Linked File As..., or something similar depending on your browser.
- Select a folder on your hard drive to save the file to and click the Save button or something similar to proceed with the download.
- There are many apps with which one can view and annotate EPUB files on Android devices and on Windows, Mac, and Linux personal computers. For example, Apple’s Apple Books app is now included with macOS on the Mac.
Using the EPUB Files in Apple Books
To access Themes & Settings, tap anywhere on the screen, tap the indicated button that appears, then tap Themes & Settings.
Selecting Light mode, Original theme, Scrolling View, etc. in Apple Books
- To make Apple Books display the original fonts and colours as designed, select Light mode, and use the Original theme. (The dark themes change all the text to be the same colour.)
- On smaller devices like the iPhone, using Scrolling View in landscape orientation is especially highly recommended.
- Turning off text justification is recommended.
- With your desired theme selected (e.g., Original), tap the Customize button, then turn off the Justify Text switch.
Updates and Other Information
Check the Links News blog (news feed, Twitter) for news regarding updates to this resource, and also for news regarding other resources prepared by our fellow workers in the Chinese fields. You may also find it interesting to check out the tiandi.info blog (news feed, Twitter), which is about various things related to the Chinese fields. (Email me if you need login information, and include information on who referred you and/or what group/cong. you are in.)
To follow the Twitter account for the Links News and tiandi.info blogs, click or tap this button:
If you have any questions or comments, email them to me. I am often very busy, but I will try my best to answer your emails.
Enjoy using the material. May it help you to serve more effectively and joyfully in the Mandarin field.
Chapter File Links
In these files, the material with a grey background has not yet received final editing, but is otherwise usable. More editing may be done later as time allows.
Starting with the Chapter 20 material, in the fully edited sections the Pīnyīn line is treated not just as a pronunciation aid, but as being of a full writing system, with the capitalization, punctuation, numbers, etc. rendered accordingly. Thus, you can just read the Pīnyīn line without your eyes having to bounce back and forth between it and the Chinese characters line.