Names of Characters in Foreign Editions.

[Doughnut Jimmy]

Interesting Tony, a case of pick your own spelling perhaps?

A Dibbler is apparently a small marsupial.

 

[author3]

There could be millions of meanings

 

[NightWatch]

Swedish translations

... allow me to do this again, as there have been a few books (and characters, quite possibly) since the last translation offered. Titles and characters are taken from Wikipedia, while the translations enclosed within { and } symbols are my translations from Swedish into English (if necessary). Any other notes will be in parenthesis below the entry.

Novels:
The Colour of Magic - Magins färg - { The Magic's Colour }
The Light Fantastic - Det Fantastiska Ljuset - { The Fantastic Light }
Equal Rites - Trollkarlens stav - { The Wizard's Staff }
Mort - Mort - { --- }
Sourcery - Svartkonster - { "Black Magic" or possibly "The Dark Arts" }
Wyrd Sisters - Häxkonster - { "Witchcraft" or more literally "Witches' Art" }
Pyramids - Pyramidfeber - { Pyramid Fever }
(This is possibly a pun on the translation of 1925 Charlie Chaplin movie "The Gold Rush", the title of which is translated as "Guldfeber" - Gold Fever)
Guards! Guards! - I lagens namn - { In the Name of the Law }
--Faust-- Eric - Eric - { --- }
Moving Pictures - Rörliga bilder - { --- }
Reaper Man - Döden ligger lågt - { Death Lies Low }
Witches Abroad - Häxor i faggorna - { Witches About }
(This is actually a very good translation where the pun of the term "abroad" is unfortunately lost, but still conveys the general meaning of the original title.)
Small Gods - Små gudar - { --- }
Lords and Ladies - Herrskap och häxor - { Nobles and Witches }
(In Swedish, "herrskap" can refer either to a married couple or to the upper classes; "Lords and Ladies" therefore are both included in the term, so an educated guess here is that the "witches"-part was added for, for lack of a better term, clarification.)
Men at Arms - En man på sin vakt - { A Man on (His) Guard }
Soul Music - Levande musik - { Living Music }
(In Swedish, this is also a rather sad pun. The term "levande" in this context can also mean, translated to English, "live", as in "Live from Johannesburg: The Trent Brothers!". So another possible translation would be "Live Music", but it doesn't quite hit the mark.)
Interesting Times - Spännande tider - { Exciting Times }
(Of course, something that is exciting is also interesting; thus the translation. The literal term for the translation of "interesting" only pertains to curiosity, not to excietement.)
Maskerade - Masker - { Masks }
Feet of Clay - På lerfötter - { On Clay Feet }
(In Swedish, the idiom "a giant on clay feet" refers to something large, like an organization, that has a very shaky foundation. Thus the pun. I assume it is the same in English?)
Hogfather - Svinvinternatt - { Hog-Winter Night }
(A "svinvinter", literally hog-winter or swine-winter, is an extremely cold and harsh winter, with little to eat and too much snow for comfort. The translation doesn't quite do the term justice; with some interpretation, the title could be translated to "A Freezing Winter Night".)
Jingo - Jingo - { --- }
The Last Continent - Den sista kontinenten - { --- }
Carpe Jugulum - Carpe Jugulum - { --- }
The Fifth Elephant - No official translation yet - { Den Femte Elefanten }
The Truth - No official translation yet - { Sanningen }
Thief of Time - No official translation yet - { Tidstjuven }
The Last Hero - No official translation yet - { Den Siste Hjälten }
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents - Den Makalöse Maurice och hans Kultiverade Gnagare - { The Marvellous Maurice and His Cultivated Rodents }
(Another pun, I'm afraid, by the translator. "Kultiverade", translating to "cultivated" is of course a play on words, alluding that these rats were trained or "grown" for a purpose (as in cultivating crops), but also that they have achieved a level of cultural knowledge and a culture of their own. And education, of sorts, I suppose.)
Night Watch - No official translation yet - { Nattvakten }
The Wee Free Men - Små blå män - { Tiny Blue Men }
(Some claim that it's "Small Blue Men", but the word "tiny" is the one implied in the word "små", not "small". "Tiny" is the proper word, as it is to do with physical size.)
Monstrous Regiment - No official translation yet - { Det Monstruösa Regimentet }
A Hat Full of Sky - No official translation yet - { En Hatt Full Av Himmel }
Going Postal - No official translation yet - { Postiljonären }
(There is no phrase that properly translates "going postal", so I made a bad pun myself - the translation is constructed of two parts - "postiljon" which is a rather archaic word for "mail man" and "ären", which - when added to the former - is a play on words for the word "the millionaire", which is "miljonären". Of course this is just a scam.)
Thud! - No official translation yet - { Tjong! }
Wintersmith - No official translation yet - { Vintersmeden }
Making money - No official translation yet - { Att Göra Pengar }
(This is a bit of a tough nut to crack, as there is no corresponding homonymic term to "making money" (indicating both the production of and earning of money). I would say that something along the lines of "Penningpress" would be a decent choice for a translation (indicating both "to be under financial pressure, i.e. poor" and "a mint".)
Unseen Academicals - No official translation yet - { Osynliga Akademikerna }
("Unseen University" is translated to "Osynliga Universitetet", which is actually rather translated into "The Invisible University", but I digress.)
I Shall Wear Midnight - No official translation yet - { Jag Skall Bära Midnatt }
Snuff - No official translation yet - { --- }

Characters:
SWEDISH NAME. { ENGLISH NAME, if applicable }

Agnes Nitt, a.k.a. Perdita. { --- }
Albert, or Alberto Malich. { --- }
Angua, or Delphine Angua von Überwald. { --- }
Bagaget. { The Luggage }
Bibliotekarien. { The Librarian }
Binky. { --- }
Blinde Io. { Blind Io }
Bravd Navländaren. { Bravd the Hublander }
Brutha. { --- }
Casanunda. { --- }
Cohen Barbaren, or Djingis Cohen. { Cohen the Barbarian }
Conina. { --- }
Cuddy. { --- }
D.B.M.R Dribbler, or Det-Blir-Min-Ruin Dribbler. { C.M.O.T Dibbler, or Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler }
Detritus. { --- }
Dorfl. { --- }
Döden. { Death }
Esmerelda "Mormor" Vädervax. { Esemerelda "Granny" Weatherwax }
Grisefar. { The Hogfather }
Gråbo. { Greebo }
Gytha "Nanna" Ogg. { Gytha "Nanny" Ogg }
Havelock Vetinari. { --- }
Hrun Barbaren. { Hrun the Barbarian }
Leonard av Quirm. { Leonard of Quirm }
Morot. { Carrot }
Nobby Nobbs, or Cecil Wormsborough St. John Nobbs. { --- }
Pundhuvudet Johannessen. { Bloody Stupid Johnson }
Rensvind. { Rincewind }
Råttornas Död. { The Death of Rats }
Store A'Tuin. { Great A'Tuin }
Susan, or Susan Sto Helit. { --- }
Svarta Aliss. { Black Aliss }
Sybil Ramkin, or Lady Sybil Deidre Olgivanna Ramkin. { --- }
Teppic, or Teppicymon XXVIII. { --- }
Tiffany Aching. { --- }
Tvåblomster. { Twoflower }
Samuel Vimes. { --- }
Viväcka Vitlöök. { Margrat Gaarlick }
Ysabell. { --- }
Ödet. { Fate }

Locations:
SWEDISH NAME. { ENGLISH NAME, if applicable }

Agateanska Imperiet. { The Agatean Empire }
Bruan Öarna. { The Brown Islands }
Cirkelhavet. { The Circle Sea }
Koomdalen. { Koom Valley }
Källardimensionerna. { The Dungeon Dimensions }
Lanker. { Lancre }
Lankerstad. { Lancretown }
Motviktskontinenten. { The Counter-Weight Continent }
Rammtopparna. { The Ramtops }
Sto-slätten. { The Sto Plains }

That's all I got; feel free to ask 8)

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

NightWatch, Your nearer than you think with the translation, In Scotland the local dialect or colloquial expression sma & wee = tiny in our region.

<The Wee Free Men - Små blå män - { Tiny Blue Men } >

And Welcome to the forum if I have not done so before.

 

[Tonyblack]

Welcome to the site, NightWatch! And thanks for those.

 

[hattie]

Of course I've seen Bienvenue chez les Cht'is. Hilarious!!!!
They even dubbed it in German...failed miserably because the jokes just don't work out in German.

After beginning to read the french Discworld translations, I have found out how perfect a translation can be!!! This guy is a GENIUS!!!Honestly!! The German translators should die of shame!!!
But apart from the German ones just not being very good translations, I also have a problem with them being..well...German, not Austrian. No Austrian in their right mind would use the word Grütze

That's why I feel more at home reading the English translations than reading the German ones.
(No offence meant to all the Piefkes :twisted

Sorry...pity your smaller neighbours

 

[michelanCello]

Of course I've seen Bienvenue chez les Cht'is. Hilarious!!!!

Totally agree

 

[ChristianBecker]

That's why I feel more at home reading the English translations than reading the German ones.
(No offence meant to all the Piefkes :twisted

Totally understnadable.
The same is true for Austrian books (or English books translated by an Austrian). There are some unusual (for me) phrases and words in there.

 

[meerkat]

What is a Piefkas, Chris? I've read that in a Philip Kerr 'Bernie gunther' thriller. Still don;t understand it.

 

[hattie]

Piefke is a word Austrians use for describing Germans (doesn't mean anything, but isn't meant to be nice, which is why I sort of apologised).
Just as if English people would call them "krauts".

 

[poohcarrot]

Just as if English people would call them "krauts".

Just as if some English people would....

 

[meerkat]

Thanks Hattie , that makes a lot of sense now!

 

[hattie]

Some...English people...
like SOME Austrians use it...no, actually all Austrians use it...

OH..does it make sense?? I hope so

 

[poohcarrot]

Don't worry about it.

It's just that a lot of people (myself included) class "krauts" as rascist.

 

[hattie]

REALLY?!? wow...didn't know that. You learn more every day!
"Piefke" is only racist in a more or less nice way..... if that's possible at all.

It's part of this dilemma the Austrians have: thinking their country is much more important than it actually is. Apparently the whole population gut stuck in the Austro-hungarian monarchy when Austria was HUGE (compared to other countries in Europe ) and had a LOT to say politically. Well, now Austria is tiny and that's why most of the people look at Germany and think: we had a country that size once...grumble...but we have the better food and the cooler dialects and we're the cooler people...who cares if Germany has more to say politically in Europe..pah...Piefkes. I think that's how it works 8) we're much cooler

 

[deldaisy]

Of course I've seen Bienvenue chez les Cht'is. Hilarious!!!!

Totally agree

Brilliant movie!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLRTtHByPn4

 

[poohcarrot]

Actually, the Brits who use offensive words like "Krauts" or "Frogs" still believe that Britain is actually GREAT Britain, when in fact, like Austria, it's a pretty insignificant country that once had an empire and "ruled the waves."

(I might get some stick for that from Daily Bounce readers. )

 

[deldaisy]

Oh I meant to ask: How does the Nac Mac Feegle translate in foreign editions? The way they talk..... Always wondered that.

Edit: stuff like this: "Crivens! Whut aboot us, ye daftie"

 

[Sjoerd3000]

I know that in Dutch the Feegles say Jammer de jammer instead of waily waily

 

[deldaisy]

Have you read the english and the dutch versions Sjoerd? And if you did... did it "translate"