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/lit/ - Literature

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13490340 No.13490340 [Reply] [Original]

Anons who speak English as a second language. Do you tend to read translations in English or in your native language?

>> No.13490463

I speak Portuguese, Spanish and English.

If it's French, Italian or Russian, I'll go for Portuguese. Else, probably English because there are often better translations in English. But here is where it depends, sometimes a book is half assed translated into English, while there is a good serious translation work done in your country. So the first filter is to check the history of translations of that one book, only then I guess it based on proximity of language.

>> No.13490488

>>13490340
Dependsif I'm buying physical or downloading a PDF file, if former my native if latter English, I don't speak a wide spoken language, so I figure it's better to go for English translations

>> No.13490493

>>13490340
I speak Hungarian, English, and German ( but only at a B2 level as of now ).

I prefer English translations because I don't react to bad prose and odd word choices as viscerally as I would in Hungarian. Hungarian translations also tend to be a bit flavorless and sterile in general.

>> No.13490553

>>13490493
Hungarian dubs for movies are fucking top tier, just so you know. They're done by actual trained theater actors 99% of the time.

Here, have a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovFj8shBQWQ

>> No.13490570

>>13490340
Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Montenegrin speaker here. I read English translations of major works.

>> No.13490571

I always go for English translations if possible. Because all translators of my native language need to be lined up and shot, that's how they terrible they are

>> No.13490591

>>13490570
It's also important to mention that many parts of the canon are out of print, not annotated, or just have absolutely ancient translations in general if you speak a niche language. Even though there's more PC cuckery in English editions of the canon than I'd like to have, they are the best versions if you want to read something like the History of the Peloponnesian War.

>> No.13490627

>>13490340
The English translations are generally cheaper, at least on Amazon, so I get those. I would love to read translations in Spanish since reading a book in your native language can be more impactful but I'm not a rich man (yet).

>> No.13490651

>>13490340
If english's the original language, I'll read it english. Otherwise, translated into my native language.

>> No.13490803

>>13490570
Don't let this Balkarian fool you. It's all the same language, he is not a polyglot.

>> No.13491348

>>13490803
kek

>> No.13492388

I read everything in german except when the original is in english

>> No.13492552

I speak Hungarian and English. I mostly go with English translations, except if its a Russian or Hungarian book, cause then I go with reading in Hungarian

>> No.13492561

>>13490340
My native language is Polish, but I find English, original translation to be somewhat better. I've been reading books in English for a few years now and I find the Polish translations to be unsatisfying compared to the English ones

>> No.13492616 [DELETED] 

>>13492552
I read everything in Spanish but works whose original language is English
>>13492561
>>13490570
>>13490493
Sad!

>> No.13492619

>>13490340
I read everything in Spanish but those whose original language is English
>>13490493
>>13490570
>>13492552
>>13492561
Sad!

>> No.13492650
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13492650

>>13490340
I don't read translations

>> No.13492669

>>13492561
basically this, some Polish translations are so bad they make it unreadable (LOTR for example, looking at you, Łoziński, I also disliked the way Cioran was translated) and it really builds your vocabulary
also nothing beats going to a thrift store and buying a shitload of books in english for a couple of $ because nobody wants them

>> No.13492699

>>13490340
It depends on availability. I usually pick the one that is easiest to get.

>> No.13492707

>>13492561
Tell me about the Lem translations

>> No.13492792

>>13490340
German native, I speak English and Japanese. I always try to read a text in its original language, if I can't do that I default to the English translation. I prefer English over German anyways, and English versions are more readily available.

>> No.13492841
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13492841

>>13490340
I'll always opt for a translation into my native language if there is one, assuming it isn't complete trash.

>> No.13492859

>>13492792
>I prefer English over German anyways
why?

>> No.13492894

>>13492792
>>13492859
what a complete pleb and a weeb to boot

>> No.13492957

>>13492859
German is very unwieldy. English is much more direct and concise of a language, more straightforward in getting thoughts across. I do prefer German when it comes to poetry though.

>> No.13493160

Always try to get translations English is a mongrel of a language.

>> No.13493502

how to know if the translation is bad?

>> No.13493625

>>13493502
compare

>> No.13493731

>>13493625
but i'd have to buy the book. maybe there's a pdf of the english version, but not of my native language

>> No.13493941

Both. As the language is not the original one anyway, I pick whichever version I happen to find.

>> No.13494351

>>13490340
No

>> No.13494401

If it’s written in English I read it in English, if it’s written in my language I read it in my language.
As long as I can get my hands on it I will read it but I'm not gonna be autistic about language.

>> No.13495479

I read everything in Swedish unless the author wrote it in English. I’ve noticed that German to Swedish is way superior to German > English. German sentences just lose its flow in English.

>> No.13496519

>>13490340
It certainly depends on the book. I'm from Brazil and lately a not-so-recent publisher started publishing the big Russians in competent translations. If I'm starting with the greeks, a few works are very acceptable translated to PT (not that it matters with the greeks, you're getting it bilingual anyway). In any case, Loeb is generally my go to.

Italian and Spanish you can quite frankly read it with a dictionary on the side. For Japanese, I believe that our tranlations are superior (or at least on par) to the English ones.
German is a 50/50, I'd have to check who is translating it.

>> No.13496604

>>13490340
I always prefer the original text, unless it stops being practical to get the original one, like when buying some physical books that are rarer or older.

>> No.13497179

>>13490340
I speak German, English, and some Dutch

I usually just read in English even though it's not my native. All of the secondhand book shops where I live in America have a very small German section usually, and it's usually shit.

If I can find a good book in German, I'll get it.