Re: So it is true...

Seán O'Leathlóbhair wrote:
>
> *** T. Winter wrote:
> > In article <1133777483.827286.191030@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> "=?iso-8859-1?B?U2XhbiBPJ0xlYXRobPNiaGFpcg==?=" <jwlawler@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
> > ...
> > > Some parents may want one
> > > to help explain Harry Potter to their children. "Dad, what's a
> > > lorry?", "Don't know son, some limey thing".
> >
> > Only if they read the UK edition, which is unlikely. The books have been
> > translated to US English.
> > --
> > *** t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924131
> > home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; http://www.cwi.nl/~***/
>
> I know that the first book was translated and this seemed
> controversial. I remember a long thread on the subject (probably in
> alt.english.usage). If I remember correctly, the majority opinion from
> both sides of the Atlantic was that the translation was excessive.

It allegedly went beyond translation to revision. In particular,
changing "Philosopher's Stone" to "Sorcerer's Stone" is especially
egregious.

> I thought that the later books were changed less. Any American Harry
> Potter readers out there? Did you encounter any unfamiliar words,
> grammar or usage? If so, did it add to, or subtract from the enjoyment
> of the books?

Here and there. Any puzzlement over such extraneous matters is a
distraction.

More of a concern, though, is that they have celebrations of "Christmas"
and "Easter" with no other indication that they are a Christian
society/institution.

> For a laugh, I have read several of the books in French. The treatment
> of proper names is curious. Some remain the same, some are translated
> to preserve puns or jokes, and some are changed for no obvious reason.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@xxxxxxx
.