Re: So it is true...

In article <439455EE.5FB5@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> 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.
> >
> > 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.

What I found most egregious was the introduction of a person in the
American edition that was not present in the British edition. Dean
Thomas, who was black. And more so because the introduction made
surrounding text incorrect. To quote:
And now there were only three people left to be sorted.
<inserted text>
"Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the
Gryffindor table.
</inserted text>
and after that follow "Turpin, Lisa", "Weasley, Ron" and "Zabini, Blaise".
Can't count to four?

> 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.

Howsat? I have also celebrations of Christmas and Easter, but I am not
Christian at all. In Europe celebrations of Christmas and Easter are
quite common but are (in general) disconnected from the Christian
beliefs. And I think that is also true in the US.
--
*** t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924131
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; http://www.cwi.nl/~***/
.