The Book Thief

[Bara]

No, I just think that any translation must lose? But perhaps I'm wrong, I got the feeling he was German.

But then, I don't have the language skills to read in anything other than English.

I think we should ask Claire to read 'a' book, perhaps this one, in French, German and English - and let's find out!

NOW, look what you've done, Niaru! Let's ask you that same question. If you read a book, written by a French author, IN French; then read it again in English translation .. what happens?
Bits must surely jar? Or are pieces in the translation perhaps more telling?

Or, does the mother tongue of the reader impact?

I'm beginning to feel we're dropping into Tom Stoppard land : 'The toes, on the other hand, ....'

Has anyone read/seen 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'?

Now - how would THAT translate, given that it's all word-play (being Stoppard!)? I feel it's almost a funnier read than as a staged play. But having said that, if I saw it was on anywhere, I'd drop everything and go.

[niaru]

WELLLL....you know what?

I just checked and....Markus is an AUSTRALIAN author. Nope, not German, which I had assumed too.
www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/author.html


And Bara to answer your very good question, I don't think I've ever read a book once in a language and again in another language. It would seem boring to me, but maybe I should do it once just to see what happens.

Just last week we invited a journalist from Quebec to speak about his latest book at the university where I teach, and during our conversation before his conference he said that he attempted to translate one of his books into english but his editor stopped him because he was "changing stuff". There are some idioms and expressions that just cannot be translated.
To me literary translation really is an art in itself.

And what about translating POEMS.
Can you imagine?!!!

[adcooper]

Yes, I think translating poetry must be writing poetry, too.

Some things seem untranslatable to me. I remember a German telling me once he'd read Huck Finn in German. How can that be?!? It's ALL idioms and dialects.

[Bara]

Awww - go on, Claire .. bore yourself. I bet it would be interesting to note the differences. I wish, wish, wish I was a linguist like you. I have never had that skill.

If I WERE (hint, hint, hint) - well, why don't you do that? Get a book that we all know in all three of your languages - then read chapter by chapter. I WISH I could do that.

I promise we'll all come and visit you in the .. err Home for the Bewildered!

And gosh! You're right. He's an Aussie. And extreeeemely pretty.

Ann, once - a million years ago - I read a German translation of 'The Jabberwock'. I MUST find it for you. It will have the tears running down your face. But then, it's a nonsense poem, and nonsense is nonsence in any language.

OK - off to hunt for it. Dammit, it's Sunday night, I've worked and visited vets all weekend..

;D

[niaru]

I am reading the Book Thief now, and really enjoying it. It's different, funny and poignant. Good read.

Before that I read "The little friend" by Donna Tartt (so-so) and The Secret History (same author) which was a very good read I thought.

[niaru]

Correction...I LOVED it!!

Now I'm reading Africa Trek, which is the Journal of a couple of "crazy Frenchies", Alex Poussin and his wife Sonia, who, in 2001, decided that they would WALK from the southern tip of Africa to Jerusalem. It took them 3 years. I just started the first book, they're still in South Africa, in Lesotho. It's fascinating.
They travel light, no food, no change of clothes, they count on people to house and feed them at night.
Crazy.
But so far so good...
And of course they talk about all the people they've met that way...
Amazing!

[Bara]

Wow! I've never heard of them, Claire, but how fascinating.

[niaru]

I don't think the book has been translated into english yet, but I found a link to a uk tv channel presenting it
check it out
www.travelchannel.co.uk/ontv/programmeatoz/africatrek.htm