This is the place to talk about the Discworld, translated into your mother tongue. Tell me what you like, what you don't like, what you feel could have done better and maybe there even is a certain piece of text which you like more in its translated version than the original English.
Since I've opened this thread I'll start: For a while, I've been listening to the German Discworld audio books, and thought for the most part the translation was okay, even though there were quite a few hilarious mistranslations (no, to "throw up" doesn't mean to throw stuff into the air ). I really have a problem with the way the Nac Mac Feegles are portrayed, however. The scottish accent is gone without a trace, which also means the neat "dictionaries" at the start of each story had to go. Unfortunately, this means much wordplay has been excised, and most of the funny quas-euphemisms the Feegles use are no more. "Big Jobs" has been changed to merely "tall ones", and all of the names the Nac Mac Feegles have (Pictsies, Wee Free Men, the Little Men, and, indeed, Nac Mac Feegles) have been removed. Now they are referred to, occasionally, as "little blue men", and are commonly known as "the We Are The Greatest" (sic!)
I’ve always read DW books in Spanish (it’s a pity they aren’t translated to Catalan!) and nowadays I’ve started with the originals in english. Undoubtedly, I found there are plays on words completely different, and all the various accents that the characters have are difficult to translate, but I’m quite happy with the work that Spanish translators did because books don’t lose much quality. In fact, there are a few things I found more interesting than the O.V. for example with the Spanish title of “Guards! Guards!”. I don’t know why, but it was slightly changed into:
“¡Guardias! ¿Guardias?”
Which I think it already shows the panorama of the City Watch and is funnier. Which one do you prefer?
About the Feegle’s issue,HEREwe talked about it. The Spanish translators found an adequate and funny solution but I don’t know what other languages did.
Uuh, the German translations, the reason why I have turned to the original English novels.
Although I started reading the novels in English some years ago Discworld at the beginning has been an exception. Reason being because, yes, you can say, I was accustomed to the ... German Style of translation (of the first 35 books or so at least, before there has been new translators, but their translations I alreaddy didn't need to read because I knew the original version).
The German style is such a, as I have mentioned before, "fluffy" style.
When I am reading it then a mental picture forms of a little enjoyable good natured world with funny litte good natured people with funny names and with even funny looking monsters, everybody is using the German casual form of address ("Du"; similar to the ancient Englisch "thou"; and yes, I know that in English there nowadays is only "you", but I know you also are able to express if you are speaking to a close friend or if you are speaking to your someone like the Patrician out of context, out of the style of your sentence and so on, and I too think I can already very well spot in a novel when which form is meant) and in general we have a happy humorous world which is supposed to get laugh about (even about death).
So at the beginning I though, yes, this is a nice little style, in this style I want to read the whole series from beginning and otherwise I would miss it.
And in the beginning this has been sufficient, too. But when I went further in the series there comes doubts if this style longer would be sufficient, or even has been sufficient to Terrys writings the previous books at all. So I watchet out in the internet and I also found the list of translation errors already mentioned in antoher thread. Not only it has been the simple errors or play on words which may be or may not be able to be translated ... worse has been the things which haven't found there way in the German book at all.
For one thing everybody is speaking high level language. In the original you can very well distinguish between different classes, from down at the gutter to up in the nobility, in German, they all speak as if they have a stick up their ... well, you know my meaning, I think. Minor point, granted, translators perhaps doesn't get paid to translate social language, but in the original this is a point which adds to atmosphere.
But my really big problem has been ... If you read the list and you see which words, sentences, passages has been altered without obvious reason or have been erased at all you get a pattern:
Everything which doesn't fit in this fluffy-style mentioned above has been altered or gone at all: (Heavy) swear words, sexuell allusions, really dark and gloomy bits or allusions thereof ...
The worst in my opinion is this part (Spoiler for Carpe Jugulum):
In Carpe Jugulum the human beings of Escrow are forming a queue to get bitten by the vampires. At one point Agnes mentioned to the Vampire's father, I think, why not give the people a badge to wear. Well, okay, without reading the list I perhaps wouldn't have spottet it immediately, but regrettably there has been a time in Germany when people had to wear a badge and to have form queues. ... So, what does the German translator do? - He comes and doesn't mention these sentences at all. There is no mention of a badge in the German book (only in a sentence later on, which in the German book then doesn't make any sense anymore).
My theory:
It doesn't fit in fluffy, it doesn't fit in Terry Pratchett, Terry Pratchett is fun, you have to laugh, not get reminded of the nasty things in the world, why bother German readers with their dark points in history? No, the common German reader is too sensitive to get confronted with these in a book which is (by editor and by translator) supposed to be funny (because it is Pratchett, you know, no deep thinking please ).
To put things short: I got the feeling the translator thinks his readers are simple minded fools ...
(Okay, this may be a problem in general in Germany, where Fantasy's and Science Fiction's reputation isn't settled very high ...)
Nevertheless it has been a mere coincidence that the next book to read had to be Carpe Jugulum (then in English, no German any more).
Hm, now I have pointed out what I don't like with the German translation, or at least the worst (you also could discuss the titles of the novels, but this could double the size of my posting and it's already big enough ), but sometimes there still are little nice sentences which in the German translation are better and/or more effective.
Two examples you can read in my signature:
"Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." (Hogfather) - In German it's "Menschliche Dummheit" ("Human stupidity").
Okay, you don't have the Dichotomy between Real and Artificial, but as so very often in this case (the Bursar), it is the human being (i.e. the User) who lets Hex (i.e. the computer) go cuckoo. It neatly fits with the saying that the worst error always sits between chair and keyboard.
So I like this observation in the German version.
And "Und tausend Elefanten!" (literally: "And thousand elephants!") is just so much more effectivly to shout out than "A thousand elephants!" (Moving Pictures)
Wow! What a situation! I thought all translation would have better and worse things than the originals but for what you say, German translators didn’t respect Pratchett style and criticisms at all. What unfair!
RolandItwasntmyfault said:
And "Und tausend Elefanten!" (literally: "And thousand elephants!") is just so much more effectivly to shout out than "A thousand elephants!" (Moving Pictures)
Yes, I understand what you mean. There are things in Spanish that I also consider sound more powerful that in English (such as the swearing department), although I’ve always thought that because of your sonority any shout in German is definitely effective.
Wow! What a situation! I thought all translation would have better and worse things than the originals but for what you say, German translators didn’t respect Pratchett style and criticisms at all. What unfair!
Exactly my meaning.
Of course, it's only my own impression, especially since I am reading the english novels in direct comparison to the German version. Others may think different or it doesn't jumps to the eye in such an annoying way, but me ... it just got on my nerves or even makes me angry (most annoying example the posting before ... I don't want the translator to decide what I am able to abide to read!).
Ah, but another point came to my mind which I like with the German translation.
The way of speaking of the trolls is very well mastered. Or rather, I even like it more than the English version.
Well, it may be that for my German reading eyes the differences between troll speaking und the human's normal speaking in the English version isn't as big as for example the difference between some human's speaking of the lower classes and the troll's speaking (mainly D instead of Th, I think). In the German version however, the translator indicates the troll's speaking with a different grammar than the usual German grammar, the words get positioned in a different way.
Well, if I was nasty I could say, the troll's this way are speaking like very dumb people or as if they are talking to a foreigner who assumably doesn't speak their language. But I like this manner of speaking in the German version.
Mixa said:
RolandItwasntmyfault said:
And "Und tausend Elefanten!" (literally: "And thousand elephants!") is just so much more effectivly to shout out than "A thousand elephants!" (Moving Pictures)
Yes, I understand what you mean. There are things in Spanish that I also consider sound more powerful that in English (such as the swearing department), although I’ve always thought that because of your sonority any shout in German is definitely effective.
Exactly.
We have very good words for swearing or commanding around. :whistle:
"Und tausend Elefanten!" by the way I am also using in my real life apart from Pratchett.
Every time somebody is reporting something very exciting, very very important, very very very "ha, see what I am a wonderful guy, what amazing thing I have got just this moment again or what happened to me", then enthusiastically I am adding: "Und tausend Elefanten!"
I have never had the opportunity to read dw books in other languages, since the languages I speak are not exactly widely spoken.
However I have been thinking for some time now of seeing if there are some Swedish translations, because my partner failed to get into the English books, but I half wonder if that wasn't because some of the english was a bit beyond him. He speaks brilliant english, but I think you really have to be exceptionally good at it to fully appreciate a writer like Terry.
"DW" in Russian? O'K it's sad story but I'll tell it.
The first books were good.
Then they have become worse.
Then - nearly awful.
Then - I-don't-understan-what-I-read-sometimes.
But now the books are "getting better".
Most of all I don't like Russian phrases in places where they don't have to be and REWRITING of Pratchett. But a publisher of "DW" has changed and now "EKSMO" the big one prints them but big one doesn't mean good one as everyone knows. That's why I've said in neighbour topic: translators must work. (Sigh)
"DW" in Russian? O'K it's sad story but I'll tell it.
The first books were good.
Then they have become worse.
Then - nearly awful.
Then - I-don't-understan-what-I-read-sometimes.
But now the books are "getting better".
Most of all I don't like Russian phrases in places where they don't have to be and REWRITING of Pratchett. But a publisher of "DW" has changed and now "EKSMO" the big one prints them but big one doesn't mean good one as everyone knows. That's why I've said in neighbour topic: translators must work. (Sigh)
Hi All, sorry for my long absence
Hi, GAN
I love translations which were written by N.Berdennykov, in spite of his manners of slightly to change original text. But his translations were funny and clever, and absolutely alive! When I compared 'Witches abroad' (in translation and in original language) I was entirely satisfied! Of course, my English is not brilliant, but I felt The Spirit of DW was entirely the same as original text!
In fact, I fell in love in Sir Terry because I started read 'DW' in Berdennikov's translations 10 years ago!
But now... I've stopped to buy Russian 'DW' after 'Good Omens'. And I can't make me read new books 'DW' in Russian. It seems me ... dry and boring!
On the other hand, It made me to know English better, this is good, indeed
Do you reckon that situation looks better now? Could you please give me a hand about latest book with 'high-quality' translation of 'DW' into Russian?
I am student of translation studies and I must say that Pratchett is hard to translate. Almost impossible. There is so much lost in translation. Plus the Romanian translations of the Discworld novels are poor..so so so poor. I opened one at the bookshop and i literally closed it and put it back on the shelf after reading the first 3 pages. Plus the novels are translated by different translators and the character's titles vary from one book to another.
It's sad that people here in Romania, that don't speak English can't enjoy the "magic" of the Discworld novels.
So, after I graduate, I shall try to provide a better translation to make the Master proud haha ^^
Mixa, how are the Spanish translations of the Discworld? Are they good?
I speak Spanish but I dont speak Catalan. >_< I find it really difficult. Good luck with that !
Mixa, how are the Spanish translations of the Discworld? Are they good?
I speak Spanish but I dont speak Catalan. >_< I find it really difficult. Good luck with that !
I’ve always been quite proud of the Spanish translation (please do not confound with the South American translation), and after reading this topic I’m surer than ever that it’s one of the most accurate.
Oh! About languages in general… I’ve always though knowing Catalan was advantageous for me to learn other complex languages that are written differently as pronounced. If you have the opportunity you’ll see it is a very rich, ancient and –in my opinion- gorgeous language.
I especially like how it sounds in poetry and prose. Here you can see a video I recorded for my Catalan literary forum reciting a famous Joan Maragall’s poem.
La Ginesta - The Broom
The broom again!
The broom, with its smell!
She is my lover
who comes during summertime
To hug her
I climbed up the ridge:
after the first kiss
She left me totally perfumed.
The wind was strong
the sun was so bright:
the broom squirmed to the laughing sun.
I take her around her waist:
scissors cause a great stir
tarnishing so much beauty
until my heart told me enough.
With an innocent willow
growing next to her
I tied the sweet beloved
narrowly in a short bouquet.
When I had her tied
I turned my face to the sea…
To the sea I turned my face,
which was shining like crystal;
I raised the bouquet upwards
and started running downwards.
Italian here. Well, of course the worst part of the italian translation is that it's VERY backward and erratically made.
We only got as far as Soul Music, BUT Feet of Clay is translated as far as I know. But not Interesting Times and Maskerade. And the first three of the Tiffany Aching series are also translated.
Of course, as other people pointed out, it's hard to maintain the humor and jokes in other languages, nigh impossible. But in the italian translation i feel that the atmosphere is also lost, and that one could be kept with an accurate translation. And as for the errors... *sigh*
About the Feegle’s issue, HERE we talked about it. The Spanish translators found an adequate and funny solution but I don’t know what other languages did.
Right. I think the french translation found the best solution. Using a dialect of the language you are translating into: Feegles in french transalation speak Picard, which coincidentially happens to be a northern dialect and one that has its funny words. Fair's fair, it was a job well done.
In Italian they rendered the Feegle speech not with a dialect, but with a sort of stereotypical medieval italian (kind of like the one used in L'armata Brancaleone, which is a cult comedy film in Italy, set in medieval times and using this particular kind of speech for humour). Which would not have been my favorite choice, but would have been fair enough IF THEY DIDN'T MAKE UP WORDS. Which they did for Geas, Hag, all the variations of "scunner" and "mudlin" and many other words. Can't remember exactly which ones, but most of them might have had a suitable already existing translation coherent with the style chosen.
). I really have a problem with the way the Nac Mac Feegles are portrayed, however. The scottish accent is gone without a trace, which also means the neat "dictionaries" at the start of each story had to go. Unfortunately, this means much wordplay has been excised, and most of the funny quas-euphemisms the Feegles use are no more. "Big Jobs" has been changed to merely "tall ones", and all of the names the Nac Mac Feegles have (Pictsies, Wee Free Men, the Little Men, and, indeed, Nac Mac Feegles) have been removed. Now they are referred to, occasionally, as "little blue men", and are commonly known as "the We Are The Greatest" (sic!)
Which one do you prefer?
