Translated Books

[Yayo]

Hi all!
Have you ever read a book that you can tell was not written in your native language but translated into it? Sometimes it's not specifically stated and you only come the conclusion because the syntax and grammar doesn't sound right. Here's a few that I've read:

Examples of Good Translation:

• From the Earth to the Moon

Jules Verne (Originally in French)

• Around the World in Eighty Days

Jules Verne (Originally in French)


Examples of Bad Translation:

• The Plague

Albert Camus(Originally in French)

• Death and the Devil

Frank Schätzing(Originally in German)


I suppose that it's wrong to blame the bad translation on the author, since we should really be blaming the interpretive skills of the translator.

Have any of you come across horribly or brilliantly translated books?[/list][/list]

['Itan Atxur]

While The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the other two books are translated excellently, you can occasionally tell that the translator doesn't fully understand the meaning of some English words. Nonetheless, the translation is overall excellent and the translator undeniably managed to interpret almost all the story and characters subtleties.

[Yayo]

I still haven't read any books of that series. I didn't know that they were translated either, thanks!

[Ftxavanga Txe′lan]

I still haven't read any books of that series. I didn't know that they were translated either, thanks!

Yes, the original is Swedish!

About translations, I noticed they sometimes tend to butcher the original words created by the author. It occasionally truly gets awful. For example, the other day (in a French translation of The Lord of the Rings), I saw nazgûl spelled nazghûl and a couple of other mistakes of the kind. It really pissed me off. I mean, when the author put this much time and energy into creating languages and simple things like nouns are falsely recopied, it gives me the impression of a flagrant lack of respect.

[Yayo]

I can understand your frustration, ma Ftxavanga.

['Itan Atxur]

I still haven't read any books of that series. I didn't know that they were translated either, thanks!

Yes, the original is Swedish!

About translations, I noticed they sometimes tend to butcher the original words created by the author. It occasionally truly gets awful. For example, the other day (in a French translation of The Lord of the Rings), I saw nazgûl spelled nazghûl and a couple of other mistakes of the kind. It really pissed me off. I mean, when the author put this much time and energy into creating languages and simple things like nouns are falsely recopied, it gives me the impression of a flagrant lack of respect.

Was it a one time error or is it like that throughout the series? It could be a typo.

[Yayo]

Or just the translator's ignorance? 

[Ftxavanga Txe′lan]

I still haven't read any books of that series. I didn't know that they were translated either, thanks!

Yes, the original is Swedish!

About translations, I noticed they sometimes tend to butcher the original words created by the author. It occasionally truly gets awful. For example, the other day (in a French translation of The Lord of the Rings), I saw nazgûl spelled nazghûl and a couple of other mistakes of the kind. It really pissed me off. I mean, when the author put this much time and energy into creating languages and simple things like nouns are falsely recopied, it gives me the impression of a flagrant lack of respect.

Was it a one time error or is it like that throughout the series? It could be a typo.

I can't know yet. I actually found this particular mistake in a Harry Potter book (you know, when they present at the end summaries of other novels from the same collection). I assume it must be from the back cover of LotR! I tried to find the entire French books I'm supposed to have at home, but I couldn't find them yet.