'Translating' a book from English to American?

[Welshbird]

I just spotted this article on a blog I frequent, and was amazed to read it.

Any thoughts from across the pond chaps?

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[SF0751]

Things that make you go "hmmmmmm".

If a book or article is written by a British author, I would prefer that the British expressions, spellings, etc., are kept intact. If I don't understand a word or phrase, I'll look it up and I'll learn something.

Susan
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls, and looks like work." - Thomas A. Edison

 

[LNBruno]

Ah, you say potato and we say "You want fries with that?"

< M!ke >
[small]Don't believe everything you think.[/small]

 

[flapeyre]

I think that there should be no translation (except perhaps using American spellings vs. British). This is what was done for The Great Escape, written by Britsh POW Paul Brickhill.

On the other hand, the James Herriott books kept the British spellings, and I never had any difficulty understanding what was said (but that might not have been the case if I were hearing it instead of reading it).

Solum potestis prohibere ignes silvarum.

 

[CajunCenturion]

I also am in favor of leaving it in the original.

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[Welshbird]

I thought you guys might be! I really don't understand why it's necessary - I'm sure we don't do it at all in the other direction.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[Opieo]

If something was done across the pond over in the UK, I too would rather it was left as is.
As mentioned above, if I don't understand, I will look it up and learn something. =)

~
Chuck Norris is the reason Waldo is hiding.

 

[traingamer]

We dumb Americans can figure out what nappies, lorries, (car) boots and spanners are (these words don't exist as such or in those contexts here). Some of us have trouble with jumper vs. sweater, pavement vs. sidewalk and many other words because they already mean something quite different to us. (i.e. a jumper is a sleeveless dress or shift worn over a blouse [not much at all like a sweater] and pavement is the street.) I know a biscuit is a cookie, but many Americans do not.
On the other hand, Mummy vs. Mommy is pretty simple to understand - don't blame the blogger for being upset over that one.
But, if she wants to actually sell books on this side of the pond, she should let the editors do their 'translation'. It could mean the difference between selling ten copies to people who want to read English novels and selling thousands to the (uncultured) masses who want to read novels.

Greg
"Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." - Winston Churchill

 

[traingamer]

And I'm not defending my fellow dumb Americans here - it's better to compromise and make money than to be a starving misunderstood artist standing on non-edible principles. At least it is in my opinion.

Greg
"Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." - Winston Churchill

 

[Skie]

I'd rather have the original as well. What I'm curious about is whether or not I've been reading books that have been translated to American. Knowing that it does happen, how would I find out whether a book I'm reading has been translated?

Here's another blog about translating English to English:

http://brave-new-words.blogspot.com/2006/11/translating-from-english-to-english.html

 

[LNBruno]

I still think it was a pretty sad commentary on the American educational system when "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" showed up here as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" because publishers were convinced that so many didn't know about alchemy in the history of science.

Thank you, Mrs. Beaty, for that excrucitating year of Freshman Latin that kept me out of that crowd.

< M!ke >
[small]Don't believe everything you think.[/small]

 

[Stella740pl]

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" showed up here as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Oh. Now it all makes sense. Because I've known for ages what philosopher's stone is, but I just now had to look up what is sorcerer.

For those who may be wondering, English is not my first language, and I haven't read a single "Harry Potter" book and do not plan to any time soon.

 

[SamBones]

I'm for leaving a book as written, but I can see them doing the translation to make it more marketable here. It is being done for purely financial reasons, not artistic.

One of my favorite words that we use differently is "pumps". I was in London on business for several months in the mid-80's. One Monday I asked a coworker what he had done over the weekend. He replied that he had bought a new pair of pumps and seemed quite proud. In the US, "pumps" are women's high heeled shoes. I pictured him (before I could stop myself) wearing a pair of stiletto heeled women's shoes. He didn't understand why I was acting the way I was. In what seems like typical Brittish humour though, he went with it and "had a go with me".

He finally fessed up that he was talking about what we would call "tennis shoes". To which he insisted that he doesn't play tennis.

 

[chiph]

I thought those were "trainers"

The fun ones are the differences in use for the words "pants" and "lunch box".


Chip H.


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[SantaMufasa]

Let's not get started on the actual word differences...Months ago, I started my "Anglo-American Translator" for another thread, and I'm now up to a couple of thousand entries, I believe. When I get some vacation ("holiday") time off, I'll finish it and post here in MAI.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[Welshbird]

I'll look forward to that Dave!

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[LNBruno]

I think I'd much rather have a BBS (Business Steer Excrement) to (any variety of) English Translator.

Case in point:

"Your execution of the deliverable demonstrates that you're a team player who has high engagement and is onboard with the solution we're trying to operationalize and effectuate."

Excuse me? I did WHAT?

< M!ke >
[small]Don't believe everything you think.[/small]

 

[Michael52x]

Hah! You said effectuate!
Sorry, I'll have to re-operationalize now.
It's just plain American, thank you. No need for the "anglo"
Typical Britishism. { not in a bad way....}
I don't think a book that you can already read,{knowing any English at all} even though not knowing some phrases, needs to be "translated" into "American"

"Impatience will reward you with dissatisfaction" RMS Cosmics'97

 

[Welshbird]

chiph - As I grew up in Wales they are neither pumps or trainers. And certainly not plimsoles.

They are daps.

Fee

The question should be [red]Is it worth trying to do?[/red] not [blue] Can it be done?[/blue]

 

[2ffat]

Personally, I think all legal documents should be translated into American.


James P. Cottingham
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