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Ayunken-vanzan
Senior Scribe
Germany
657 Posts |
 Posted - 23 May 2007 : 16:28:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Dart Ambermoon
Whoa, and here I thought German translations were terrible, but thatīs really worse.
The differences can really be immense.
I have just finished reading the Elminster series from Ed Greenwood and started "The Magehound". Buying the Elminster series in German translation was a big mistake, because the translation is absolutely awful (e. g. translating "lich" with "Lurch", which means "amphibian, batrachian" - one of many mistakes). I don't think that I will buy realms novels in German translation ever again.
The Magehound is a very exciting and interesting reading experience so far. Having acquired the original english version, of course, the story has caught me right from the beginning, even more so because I really like Halruaa, the land and its history. |
"What mattered our lives now? When our world had been torn from us? Folk wept, or drank, or stood staring out over the land, wondering what new horror each dawn would bring."
Elender Stormfall of Suzail
"Anyone can kill deities, cause plagues, or destroy organizations. It takes real skill to make them live on."
Varl
FR/D&D-Links 2ed Downloads |
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Dart Ambermoon
Learned Scribe
Germany
253 Posts |
Posted - 23 May 2007 : 17:14:31
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"Lurch"? Seriously...?   |
~ In Finder I trust, for danger I lust ~ |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 11:51:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Fillow
French people initiated a war with foreign languages long long time ago.  And we're some irreparable idlers ! 
Fillow, your skill in English seriously undercuts this modest disclaimer.  When it comes to linguistic arrogance, no one can beat the Americans. We just don't bother with other languages, assuming that everyone else should speak English. It's not one of our more attractive qualities.
I should also point out that few young Americans would use the phrase "irreparable idlers." A more likely expression would be, "We're, like, really lazy..."  |
Edited by - ElaineCunningham on 24 May 2007 15:09:41 |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 11:58:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Fillow
Tthat was a real good wish but the French editor seems to decide to stop his translating FR novels. no sells enough ! $-Ģ--Power
The last translated novel is Resurrection, the 84th one.
We're afraid they stop before the 90th one.
That's a little surprising. According to my royalty statements, the French translations sell better than most. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36805 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 12:32:40
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
quote:
Originally posted by Fillow
French people initiated a war with foreign languages long long time ago. And we're some irreparable idlers !
Fillow, your skill in English serious undercuts this modest disclaimer. When it comes to linguistic arrogance, no one can beat the Americans. We just don't bother with other languages, assuming that everyone else should speak English. It's not one of our more attractive qualities.
I've actually heard a joke about that...
"What do you call someone who speaks three languages?"
A: Trilingual
"What do you call someone who speaks two languages?"
A: Bilingual
"What do you call someone who speaks one language?"
A: American! |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Fillow
Master of Realmslore
France
1608 Posts |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 15:13:12
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The Counselors & Kings trilogy are the only books of mine that have been translated into German. I've never taken time to read them--I don't read German well, so for me the translation process is laborious--but people whose opinions I respect tell me the translation was . . . disappointing.
Maybe that's why there's only that one trilogy available in German? |
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ElaineCunningham
Forgotten Realms Author
2396 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 15:24:37
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I've heard that joke, Woolie. Actually, I grew up with this theme running in the background, so I heard a LOT of jokes like this. My father grew up in Poland, and, like many Europeans, could speak several languages. He had German and English throughout school, and of course Latin. He grew up near the Russian border and could get along in Russian, and years later lived among Ukranians in the prairie region of Alberta, Canada, so he picked up that Slavic language, as well. And because he had so much Latin, he was able to pick up Italian when he was there during the war. He once mentioned that people in Italy frequently thought he was a priest because there was so much Latin sprinkled into his Italian, and observed drolly, "I got lots of respect, but not many girl friends..."
It's ironic, then, that my father was vehemently against concessions for languages other than English in the US. He figured that if you move here, you speak English. Period. So we grew up with English. Period. Which is a shame. I picked up a little Polish and German from my grandmother, but I really wish we'd had the experience of a bilingual household. |
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Ayunken-vanzan
Senior Scribe
Germany
657 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 16:33:37
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quote:
Originally posted by ElaineCunningham
The Counselors & Kings trilogy are the only books of mine that have been translated into German. I've never taken time to read them--I don't read German well, so for me the translation process is laborious--but people whose opinions I respect tell me the translation was . . . disappointing.
Maybe that's why there's only that one trilogy available in German?
Since I have bought Counselors & Kings in english I cannot say anything about the quality of the German translation on my own. So I have quickly read through the reader reviews on amazon.de. What almost instantly catch your eyes are statements about the "abysmal quality of the translation" ("like a translation program") and "many errors as if there were no proofreader". From my experiences with the (German) Elminster series I can imagine what one has to expect from "Ratgeber und Regenten" very well (the first book is titled "Der Bluthund" -> the bloodhound). |
"What mattered our lives now? When our world had been torn from us? Folk wept, or drank, or stood staring out over the land, wondering what new horror each dawn would bring."
Elender Stormfall of Suzail
"Anyone can kill deities, cause plagues, or destroy organizations. It takes real skill to make them live on."
Varl
FR/D&D-Links 2ed Downloads |
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Dart Ambermoon
Learned Scribe
Germany
253 Posts |
Posted - 24 May 2007 : 19:49:15
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Sadly, ītis true concerning the translations. I bought and read the novels in English, but then had a chance to browse the translated version a friend of mine owned.
But this really is a general trend with FR novels in German, from straight translation errors over extreme creative freedom of some translations (the God Bane was renamed Tyrannos for some reason in the Avatar series) right down to the fact that many translators seem to know jack about the Realms or Fantasy in general.
Different manners of speech are non-existant (e.g. in the RAS books thereīs hardly a difference between Bruenor or Alustriel talking in the translations), which steals a lot of flair and disfigures the original style of the authors. And it makes the Realms-flair disappear.
Itīs really a shame because there are very good translations of Fantasy available in Germany (e.g. Steven Eriksonīs "Malazan Book of the Fallen" if I may be forgiven for quoting a non-Realmsian book.)
With regards to only one trilogy being available in German language...Iīve never-ever understood that companyīs method of deciding which novels to publish. In all honesty. I was surprised to see them publish Counselors and Kings, and not any of the Dan/Arylin series(though I thought it might have s.th.to do with the first of those being part of the Harper series). But as far as translations, I just donīt get "it". There are so many (decently) translated Dragonlance novels in German (which are good sellers afaik), that one would expect them to be able to do better...a lot better. It is really sad for loss of potential readers (and gamers) and also sad in respect to the fine work of the FR authors.
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~ In Finder I trust, for danger I lust ~ |
Edited by - Dart Ambermoon on 24 May 2007 20:22:31 |
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The Magehound (Counselors and Kings Book 1)
