QUE???? LOTR translations

[Catz]

well having just unravelled an interesting situation involving a Portugese translation of LOTR, i was just wondering if any of our members from countries where English is not the official language have found any similar errors in translations that theyve read.
Ive heard some absolute howlers, which of course i cant bring to mind at the mo:rolleyes: lol ...
but it fascinates me how the meaning of things can often get utterly lost in translation.....
So, Polly, Mirky, Bramble or anyone else????

[Tar-Ancalimë]

Well I read it in French. They changed a lot. I will dig up my copy again and give you particulars. Though I don't remember anything funny, just irritating.

[Keverzwijn]

I read it in Dutch and English. They change a few names in the dutch version but it's a good translation.

[Tar-Ancalimë]

yeah they change the names in French all over the place. i mean not like i could have done a better translation but i did have a few problems with it.

[Ringwraith]

What Portuguese translations are you talking about?

[Catz]

youd have to ask Galadriel14 that, Ringwraith.....check out the Frodo thread in this forum....
:catz:

[Galadriel14]

They didn't changed almost nothing. They only translate some words to portuguese (for example: Bag End is Fundo do Saco and Peregrin Took is Peregrino Took, the rest is almost the same) They didn't change that much. That thing about Frodo's death, is only my opinion. Well, for that, we better wait until the ROTK movie in December 2003!!! :cool: :thumbs: (one little thing, Catz I saw your drawings yesterday, they are fab!!!! You are a great artist!!!!!) :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

[Mirkgirl]

Actually I have never read the books in English... but being in forums and stuff on the net I've never seen anything that different, except for the linguistic differences, which cannot be avoided anyway.
The eavesdropping pun had a great bulgarian variant, for example.
I don't know why, but I think that a translation has to speak the native language (not the word, but the sound, I don't know if you can understand me). I think that the Bulgarian translation was great. I liked the way the foreword from the translator was held well too, I just think he captured the 'sound'
Not many name changes in Bulgarian, just the meaningful ones (just a few, the ones with a distinctful English meaning).
No real errors in mine (well maybe some confused names, they do it everywhere, I don't even pay attention anymore (switched places of the speakers etc.)

[Galadriel14]

I agree with you. But, I really hate when they translate some words to the native language. I don't know why but I hate. pfbbt But in the midlle of all this it's fun to compare the differences! :thumbs:

[Ringwraith]

Well, the Brazilian version I have (just in case someone doesn't know, we speak Portuguese here ;) ) is quite faithfull to the english version I have too.

[Galadriel14]

Finalmente alguém que fala portugues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao
A tua versão deve ser praticamente igual à minha, e, pelas comparações que já fiz, a única coisa que eu vejo que mudaram na tradução foram os nomes. No Brasil, Bag End é o Bolsão não e? :thumbs:

[Tar-Ancalimë]

OK OK wrong thread people....

unless of course you're talking about your translations... :blush: but yeah since I can't understand you...

I'm sure you get the point :grin:

[Elendur]

Please use the PM function for personal messages... so that the rest of the dumbo's like me can understand what is going on!!!.. helps keep the threads moving!!
I heard that the translation into Chinese leaves a lot to be desired!
But it is never easy translating English to Chinese... as there is so much of a difference in the language structure:thumbs:

[Galadriel14]

What I said there I have said to you all before so, don't worrie about it! :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

[Galadriel14]

And, sorry!!!!!!!!!:grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

[Ärwen]

What i don't get is why they change the names at all. Can someone who has read the book in something other than English explain??

[Tar-Ancalimë]

nope, I don't get it either. Sometimes they will change literal names like Barliman (Barley+man) but otherwise I don't get it.

[Mirkgirl]

Barliman and such need their translations, they'd stick out if left the same - Barliman, Mirkwood, Strider, Mount Doom, Goldbery, Prancing Pony, Fatty... they are in the story with their meaning.

But if you change names just to make them sound more like the language, like the forms of the names this is stupid.

The change of Samwise's name is maybe debatable as it changes the sense a bit as well (It's still Sam, just the extension is different). But it looked good in the context.

[Frodo's Love]

I've read LOTR in German and Dutch and I'm about to read it in English soon. The translations are very good, I think, but most of the (sure-)names are changed. The German version of "Baggins" for example is "Beutlin" and in Dutch "Balings". The names of the places are mostly translated, to make the readers who can't speak or read English understand the sense of the names and places...

[Valaraukar]

Hi! i've read all the books in spanish (i'm argentinian, don't blame me), and now i'm trying to read them in english....

i've found a lot of erros in the traductions, for example in a version of The Silmarillion, they named Aeglos like a sword (espada) instead a spear... and like that are a lot

the most of the surnames are translated
Bag End is Bolson Cerrado, Baggins is Bolson, Brandywine is Brandivino (wine=vino), etc