Book Blogger Hop: Aug 25th - 31st


Have you ever read a book written in a foreign language you might be fluent in, and then read the same book in English? -Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books


I only speak English, so, yeah. no. :( 

That does sound kind of fun.
I have read a fan translation of one of my all time favorite games (Final Fantasy VI) and that was interesting. I enjoyed it because I'm extremely familiar with the script* and I could see why certain choices were made. 

*I had one of those defective cartridges that would randomly erase games, so ... I've played it a lot. I also own a lot of copies... more than one person should, really. 


13 comments:

  1. I'm like you. I do wonder if the story is a bit different when translated. - Katie

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think there are going to be a lot of answers like this...I wish I knew more Spanish to read an entire book. The closest we come in this house is a bilingual kid's book from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library :)

    Megan @ Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whenever I read a translated book, I do wonder how much, if anything, has been changed in the language. I am afraid I only know English and so any translated books I read are from another language into English. I have never had a chance to compare one book written in multiple languages.

    Thank you for sharing! I hope you have a great weekend, Shannon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I only read English books even though I am bilingual in Spanish, but there is a reason why I don't read Spanish books which I explain on my blog hop post. Happy Weekend and here is my blog hop link.

    http://katisbookaholicramblingreviews.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-blogger-hop-55.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Can anyone answer if the story line changes when it is translated?

    Interesting observation.

    Great question.

    Happy Hopping!!

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Book Blogger Hop

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The main storyline is never different in my experience; it tends to be more phrases, especially in dialogue where there may not be a direct translation for slang etc. if the translator goes with a local equivalent.

      Delete
    2. I should say that I have a PGDip in Translation, so how to translate idioms etc. is something we studied, and it can be tricky when there is no clear local language equivalent. Same goes for translating humour when different cultures approach humour in different ways.

      Delete
  6. It's interesting to see who speaks other languages and who doesn't this week!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've never seen that translation of Final Fantasy, but it sounds interesting!

    Here’s my Book Blogger Hop!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will see if I can find it. It wasn't an official translation. Just someone who was learning/studying Japanese posting in a forum. She was fantastic about explaining some things that didn't translate at all.

      Delete
  8. I get a laugh out of some of the English translations I have seen on different products, like translated video games or the postcards I have purchased from China. It's interesting to see how certain phrases are interpreted by other cultures. I also only read and speak English, so I always wonder if I'm missing something when reading a translation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do too. Recently, I went out of my way to pay more for a specific translation of The Three Musketeers (I've still not read any translation) because it was widely considered the best and doesn't cut parts out (as the classic edition does).

      Delete