5 ms·

I have been wondering about this — how much more enjoyable is it to read a book in it's original language, as opposed to just reading someone's translation? Or

by osense 9y ago

I have been wondering about this — how much more enjoyable is it to read a book in it's original language, as opposed to just reading someone's translation? Or is it just the thought that you're able to read the original, as author intended — possibly after spending time to learn a language just to be able to do this — that makes it count?

watwut 9y ago
How well you speak that other language? Unless you speak really well, it is likely you get more from translation.
cptaj 9y ago
Depends very much on the writing style. Some authors don't use a lot of fancy, poetic language. For instance, reading a translation of the Da Vinci Code, Hunger Games or Harry Potter, you're probably not missing out on anything. Reading translation of pretty much all poetry, you're missing out on everything. There's a whole spectrum there in between.
- baby 9y ago
  This, I can't imagine reading Bukowski in another language as I can't imagine reading a translation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
- jakobloekke 9y ago
  Actually, the Danish translation of The Davinci Code is a great example of a translation that just flips the words into the new language, resulting in some very strange sentences that sound unmistakenly American. A lot of translated business literature (and most Netflix subtitles) are the same way. Harry Potter, on the other hand, is beautifully recreated in Danish and thus mimics the effortless reading experience of the original.
- kej 9y ago
  Tangential, but there was actually some interesting work put into the Harry Potter translations. Puns like Diagon Alley need to be turned into something meaningful in the target language, and they have to be careful not to change any of the clues dropped in early books so that they'll still work later on.
- armandososa 9y ago
  As an Spanish speaker (from Mexico), I hate reading anything translated in Spain. They make absolutely no effort in translating the idioms, or cultural references. Latin American translations are better IMHO, but I almost always read in english.
lmkg 9y ago
A currently-popular literary theory (strongly espoused by Jorge Luis Borges, whose translation of Kafka's Metamorphosis was highly influential to Marques) is that the translation of a literary work is, in fact, a brand new literary work authored by the translator. The fact that languages don't line up one-to-one, and the fact that language (and literature) is deeply entwined with culture, means that the translator has to make a lot of creative decisions when translating, and that the final product can never be a 'perfect' reproduction of the original text. It's not necessarily about enjoyment, as it is about reading what the author wrote as opposed to what the translator wrote. But this also means that sometimes, the translated work is a good work in its own right and worth reading (Borges once said "The original is not faithful to the translation"). So, it really depends on a lot of things. But for Marques in particular, his works are very tied to Spanish culture so even as an outsider, learning Spanish and reading the originals still isn't quite the same as reading them as a Spaniard.
- walterbell 9y ago
  Borges work is available in two translations, one done by a friend in cooperation with Borges, one done after his death when his wife commissioned a new translation to avoid paying royalties to the first translator.
- icebraining 9y ago
  Speaking of the Metamorphosis and its translations: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/may/13/kafka-metamorphosis-translations https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/may/13/kafk...
- mbauman 9y ago
  If you're interested in translation, you may want to check out Why Translation Matters by Grossman, who translated Love in the Time of Cholera among other things. I hadn't thought of translation as anything other than utilitarian and found Grossman's book enlightening. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171303/why-translation-matters https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171303/why-translatio...
- foldr 9y ago
weeksie 9y ago
I've never read Journey to The End of The Night in French but it's my absolute favorite novel. I wonder about that as well. I am always quite specific about recommending the Ralph Mannheim translation. Similarly, I had a copy of Rimbaud's works which I was completely in love with. I moved back to the US and for the life of me cannot find the same translation. The ones I have found are somewhat limp in comparison. One day I would like to learn both French and Spanish well enough to read Borges and Celine in their original, if for no other reason than to see if the Journey I know is that much different than the original.
frandroid 9y ago
I've been told that the translation of Bulgakov's Master and Margarita that I'm currently reading (along with its copious translators' contextual footnotes) makes the novel eminently more reading than previous translation, which was apparently much more stilted.
0xdeadbeefbabe 9y ago
I read a translation of Great Expectations in simplified English and it seemed pretty boring. I wonder if the Count of Monte Cristo is even better in French.

by osense 9y ago

watwut 9y ago

How well you speak that other language? Unless you speak really well, it is likely you get more from translation.

cptaj 9y ago

Depends very much on the writing style. Some authors don't use a lot of fancy, poetic language. For instance, reading a translation of the Da Vinci Code, Hunger Games or Harry Potter, you're probably not missing out on anything. Reading translation of pretty much all poetry, you're missing out on everything. There's a whole spectrum there in between.

baby 9y ago
This, I can't imagine reading Bukowski in another language as I can't imagine reading a translation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
jakobloekke 9y ago
Actually, the Danish translation of The Davinci Code is a great example of a translation that just flips the words into the new language, resulting in some very strange sentences that sound unmistakenly American. A lot of translated business literature (and most Netflix subtitles) are the same way. Harry Potter, on the other hand, is beautifully recreated in Danish and thus mimics the effortless reading experience of the original.
kej 9y ago
Tangential, but there was actually some interesting work put into the Harry Potter translations. Puns like Diagon Alley need to be turned into something meaningful in the target language, and they have to be careful not to change any of the clues dropped in early books so that they'll still work later on.
armandososa 9y ago
As an Spanish speaker (from Mexico), I hate reading anything translated in Spain. They make absolutely no effort in translating the idioms, or cultural references. Latin American translations are better IMHO, but I almost always read in english.

lmkg 9y ago

A currently-popular literary theory (strongly espoused by Jorge Luis Borges, whose translation of Kafka's Metamorphosis was highly influential to Marques) is that the translation of a literary work is, in fact, a brand new literary work authored by the translator. The fact that languages don't line up one-to-one, and the fact that language (and literature) is deeply entwined with culture, means that the translator has to make a lot of creative decisions when translating, and that the final product can never be a 'perfect' reproduction of the original text. It's not necessarily about enjoyment, as it is about reading what the author wrote as opposed to what the translator wrote. But this also means that sometimes, the translated work is a good work in its own right and worth reading (Borges once said "The original is not faithful to the translation"). So, it really depends on a lot of things. But for Marques in particular, his works are very tied to Spanish culture so even as an outsider, learning Spanish and reading the originals still isn't quite the same as reading them as a Spaniard.

walterbell 9y ago
Borges work is available in two translations, one done by a friend in cooperation with Borges, one done after his death when his wife commissioned a new translation to avoid paying royalties to the first translator.
icebraining 9y ago
Speaking of the Metamorphosis and its translations: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/may/13/kafka-metamorphosis-translations https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/may/13/kafk...
mbauman 9y ago
If you're interested in translation, you may want to check out Why Translation Matters by Grossman, who translated Love in the Time of Cholera among other things. I hadn't thought of translation as anything other than utilitarian and found Grossman's book enlightening. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171303/why-translation-matters https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171303/why-translatio...
foldr 9y ago

weeksie 9y ago

I've never read Journey to The End of The Night in French but it's my absolute favorite novel. I wonder about that as well. I am always quite specific about recommending the Ralph Mannheim translation. Similarly, I had a copy of Rimbaud's works which I was completely in love with. I moved back to the US and for the life of me cannot find the same translation. The ones I have found are somewhat limp in comparison. One day I would like to learn both French and Spanish well enough to read Borges and Celine in their original, if for no other reason than to see if the Journey I know is that much different than the original.

frandroid 9y ago

I've been told that the translation of Bulgakov's Master and Margarita that I'm currently reading (along with its copious translators' contextual footnotes) makes the novel eminently more reading than previous translation, which was apparently much more stilted.

0xdeadbeefbabe 9y ago

I read a translation of Great Expectations in simplified English and it seemed pretty boring. I wonder if the Count of Monte Cristo is even better in French.