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'Translating' a book from English to American?
- Thread starter Welshbird
- Start date
I too enjoy reading "fluff" to relax. I never bother with a dictionary as it doesn't tend to take too long to figure out a word from context (admittedly "pocketbook" took me a while, seems a very odd name to me!). I come across more new words from some Irish authors than I do from American ones!
"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert
"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert
Stella740pl
Programmer
Sha,
I live in USA, and "pocketbook" seems to be an odd name to me, too - for something that is not a book and doesn't fit in your pocket. I hear "purse" or "handbag" used more often than "pocketbook".
I don't have that much trouble understanding British books - apparently because the middle and high school English that I took was of the British variety. It was harder for me at first to get used to all the new words and new meanings of the old words when I first came to USA about 13 years ago (and also realized how limited is school-learned vocabulary). Now, of course, I much more easily understand American English, even though I still need a dictionary from time to time (and probably always will).
I learned many words that are used differently from British magazines that I used to buy once in a while. Illustrations make it much easier to figure out.
I would always prefer reading an original book - if it is in a language I can read at all, as long as the number of words I need to look up is not higher than 10%, sometimes maybe 20% of the whole text. More than that, you lose the plot line and stop enjoying the language, too. Many words I, too, figure out from context.
I've just thought of a really obvious example of translating English into American.
Where's Wally, an English picture book where the 'reader' has to hunt for a man in a striped jumper in a crowd of people...
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"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
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Where's Wally, an English picture book where the 'reader' has to hunt for a man in a striped jumper in a crowd of people...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
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I'm sorry LizSara, I am missing the direction of your comment... Are you pointing out a book that has been 'translated'? or are you suggesting one?
sorry again, just didn't 'get' it.
~Thadeus
[sub]I hate to deflate what was probably funny to others, by asking silly questions[/sub]
sorry again, just didn't 'get' it.
~Thadeus
[sub]I hate to deflate what was probably funny to others, by asking silly questions[/sub]
Stella,
To my wife, pocketbook <> purse.
A pocketbook is a combination currency and credit card/driver's licence organizer with a coin compartment (and it may include a checkbook). It goes inside a woman's purse. In fact, my wife just bought a new purse, and it came with a matching pocketbook.
Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo.
To my wife, pocketbook <> purse.
A pocketbook is a combination currency and credit card/driver's licence organizer with a coin compartment (and it may include a checkbook). It goes inside a woman's purse. In fact, my wife just bought a new purse, and it came with a matching pocketbook.
Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo.
Yes, in American i believe it goes under a different name.
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"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
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Stella740pl
Programmer
flapeyre,
I know that there is more than definition of pocketbook
(Purse/handbag is one of them. I hear it used different ways, some more often than others, and it always confusing what was meant.
In fact, I use neither one. There is no such a thing in my vocabulary. What you describe I call wallet (
I know that there is more than definition of pocketbook
(Purse/handbag is one of them. I hear it used different ways, some more often than others, and it always confusing what was meant.
In fact, I use neither one. There is no such a thing in my vocabulary. What you describe I call wallet (
Kind of stamping all over my point there!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. ~ Nietzsche"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Must be a regional thing. I carry a wallet; my wife carries a pocketbook in her purse.
Why they call it a pocketbook (when it usually has no book and is not carried in a pocket), I haven't a clue.
Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo.
Why they call it a pocketbook (when it usually has no book and is not carried in a pocket), I haven't a clue.
Da mihi sis crustum Etruscum cum omnibus in eo.
Stella740pl
Programmer
...my wife carries a pocketbook in her purse.
Why they call it a pocketbook (when it usually has no book and is not carried in a pocket), I haven't a clue.
I agree. She probably doesn't even have pockets on some outfits, or, at least, pockets large enough to fit a wallet (pocketbook?) in them.
dwarfthrower
Programmer
SamBones said:
Americans tend to act rather strange when they come down here and we suggest wearing thongs on our feet.
[sub]Never be afraid to share your dreams with the world.
There's nothing the world loves more than the taste of really sweet dreams.[/sub]
Webflo
Michael52x
Technical User
They are called "sneakers" , but now so many types of sports shoes have specialized soles, and laces.
It's "Where's Waldo?" here, and still popular. {2-5 yr olds}
What about Dr. Seuess? Really wild words, and rhymes.
"Impatience will reward you with dissatisfaction" RMS Cosmics'97
It's "Where's Waldo?" here, and still popular. {2-5 yr olds}
What about Dr. Seuess? Really wild words, and rhymes.
"Impatience will reward you with dissatisfaction" RMS Cosmics'97
The problem with translating a book is that it's a very skilled process. Sure, any copy editor can remove, for example, the 'u' from the *our words but, once you move beyond that, there's often a good reason, beyond pure meaning, why an author chose to use certain words and phrases. To illustrate by extremes, would you apply similar translations to poetry, and, if not, then where do you draw the line. Is 'Under Milk Wood' prose or poetry? Would you 'translate' that? If you haven't gathered by now, I certainly wouldn't.
So what this comes down to is 'Where do you draw the line?' We've already seen the translating of Shakespere lampooned, what about Austen, Dickens, Kipling? And, if not those, why JK Rowling?
Conversely imagine Dashiell Hammett's works translated to UK English!
On the internet no one knows you're a dog
Columb Healy
So what this comes down to is 'Where do you draw the line?' We've already seen the translating of Shakespere lampooned, what about Austen, Dickens, Kipling? And, if not those, why JK Rowling?
Conversely imagine Dashiell Hammett's works translated to UK English!
On the internet no one knows you're a dog
Columb Healy
CajunCenturion
Programmer
That's a good point, and I would hope that we try as much as possible to keep to the author's words.
However, that is a completely different issue that that of Where's Waldo or Where's Wally . That name change is a licensing issue, not a language issue.
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However, that is a completely different issue that that of Where's Waldo or Where's Wally . That name change is a licensing issue, not a language issue.
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Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
There's nothing like a nice abortion of a translation when it comes to instruction/operations manuals. Perhaps we could put those folks to work inadvertantly changing tragedies into comedies.
[small]Sometimes you gotta leave your zone of safety. You have to manufacture Inspirado. You gotta get out of the apartment. You've got to run with the wolves. You've got to dive into the ocean and fight with the sharks. Or just treat yourself to a delicious hot fudge sundae........ with nuts. - Jack Black[/small]
[small]Sometimes you gotta leave your zone of safety. You have to manufacture Inspirado. You gotta get out of the apartment. You've got to run with the wolves. You've got to dive into the ocean and fight with the sharks. Or just treat yourself to a delicious hot fudge sundae........ with nuts. - Jack Black[/small]
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