Translations from SK

[Cristian M]

I hope I am not nosy or offending anyone. I am asking about SK collaboration with translators in various languages because it's obvious a good translation means higher revenue from the respective country (otherwise people would just buy the original book in English). Many people prefer to read the translation (not everyone excels at English or has a good background in American culture). So I guess translations should be made by approved / experienced translators that won't ruin SK's work with a bad translation.

 

[Cristian M]

Why aren't his translations into Russian good? Can you give an example ? This thread is also to make fun of some stupid mistakes of translators, maybe we can learn new things this way.
What do you mean "he's been working with SK" ? Did the translator contact SK to clarify some translation issues?

This thread exists* also to make fun...

 

[Spideyman]

In Russia we have a translator who's been working with SK novel for many, many years... But I can't say I like his translations, not good at all. And I saw how he worked with the most recent novels - he would just post his translation on the Internet, so other interpreters could read it and correct mistakes... Well, a nice way to correct mistakes, maybe, but not really professional...

I just recalled I have Pet Sematary in French... I started reading it, but never finished. I'm not a big fan of French, unfortunately... I don't remember if the translation is okay there.

Why aren't his translations into Russian good? Can you give an example ? This thread is also to make fun of some stupid mistakes of translators, maybe we can learn new things this way.
What do you mean "he's been working with SK" ? Did the translator contact SK to clarify some translation issues?

A few years back a Russian friend and SKMB member was reading the Dark Tower-- I decided to re read the books as there were many questions being asked about "meanings. I think one problem with Russian translations are that there isn't a word to correspond with the English word. Also interpretation-- how the translator understands the meaning of the English word. Many slang words just do not compute to a Russian translator.
Eventually I sent a set of the books in English to my friend. What an interesting time we had reading and translating.

 

[Moderator]

I hope I am not nosy or offending anyone. I am asking about SK collaboration with translators in various languages because it's obvious a good translation means higher revenue from the respective country (otherwise people would just buy the original book in English). Many people prefer to read the translation (not everyone excels at English or has a good background in American culture). So I guess translations should be made by approved / experienced translators that won't ruin SK's work with a bad translation.

The translators are chosen by the publisher in the respective countries. The best way to make sure the poor translations don't continue is to send a complaint to the publisher as you're absolutely correct that they want the sales to continue which would be a problem with poor translations. When we receive specific complaints, we turn them over to Steve's agent for foreign translations who (hopefully) turns them over to the publisher so that they will be aware there are problems.

 

[Cristian M]

A few years back a Russian friend and SKMB member was reading the Dark Tower-- I decided to re read the books as there were many questions being asked about "meanings. I think one problem with Russian translations are that there isn't a word to correspond with the English word. Also interpretation-- how the translator understands the meaning of the English word. Many slang words just do not compute to a Russian translator.
Eventually I sent a set of the books in English to my friend. What an interesting time we had reading and translating.

A book is not only about facts , the words themselves in the translation target language contribute to the reading experience. I am pretty sure there are equivalent Russian expressions for the English idiomatic expressions. The translator can also add footnotes to explain some untranslatable expressions or explain English puns, etc.

 

[Kurben]

That would be something like:

Ta chevelure est un feu d'hiver
Braises de Janvier
Mon coeur y brûle, aussi

The point of a haiku, also. Is that it should contain 17 syllables, no more, no less. Rhymes are really not important and that was what ben liked about it. 17 syllables, one image connected to one feeling and you're home

 

[BeverleyMarsh]

The point of a haiku, also. Is that it should contain 17 syllables, no more, no less. Rhymes are really not important and that was what ben liked about it. 17 syllables, one image connected to one feeling and you're home

Thanks Kurben

 

[Kurben]

Thanks Kurben

Were there 17 syllables in your translation? I am never sure when i'm looking at a french text whick vocals is just there but not pronounced and so are not really counting as a syllable. I read french in school for two years but not much has remained i'm sorry to say.

 

[BeverleyMarsh]

Were there 17 syllables in your translation? I am never sure when i'm looking at a french text whick vocals is just there but not pronounced and so are not really counting as a syllable. I read french in school for two years but not much has remained i'm sorry to say.

No, I'd change it to this then, and then it's a Haiku

Tes cheveux, un feu d'hiver
Braises de Janvier
Mon coeur y brûle aussi

broken down into syllables:

Tes-che-veux- un-feu-d'hi-ver
Braises-de-Jan-vier
Mon-coeur-y-brûle-aus-si

 

[Kurben]

No, I'd change it to this then, and then it's a Haiku

Tes cheveux, un feu d'hiver
Braises de Janvier
Mon coeur y brûle aussi

Fantastique, mon ami. I hope that was correct french?

 

[BeverleyMarsh]

Absolument mon cher, un français parfait : )

 

[Lily Sawyer]

There is a lot of bad translations going around. Thats why i never read King in Swedish. I always read the english. Have seen to many books that have been slaughtered by translations. When someone write so well you just wanna get it firsthand. When the language isn't as good you can risk reading in translation. For example i have read Lee Child in both ways and don't think i have lost much in the deal. Not that Child writes badlyy but he is not so concerned with building up an atmosphere as King is. You can translate the words but to catch an atmosphere is more difficult.

And this is why I've wanted to speak more languages fluently so that I can read authors in their native tongue.
I've read several things in their original language and then in English, and for the most part, the translations have been good. However, when you're fluent in one author's native language and read their novel in that language, you get more out of it.

I was so impressed when I learned that Vladimir Nabokov wrote all his novels in English, not Russian. To have a command of a secondary language as good as his was is inspiring for me.

 

[Lina]

Why aren't his translations into Russian good? Can you give an example ? This thread is also to make fun of some stupid mistakes of translators, maybe we can learn new things this way.
What do you mean "he's been working with SK" ? Did the translator contact SK to clarify some translation issues?

Yeah, actually I can give you examples... I will try and find my research work to tell you some mistakes.

I don't think he contacts SK, I meant he had been translating his books for about 20 years or more.

A few years back a Russian friend and SKMB member was reading the Dark Tower-- I decided to re read the books as there were many questions being asked about "meanings. I think one problem with Russian translations are that there isn't a word to correspond with the English word. Also interpretation-- how the translator understands the meaning of the English word. Many slang words just do not compute to a Russian translator.

Yeah, you are right. A lot of problems appear because a translator does not understand the right meaning. Sometimes it causes big problems for readers, as a lot of meaning is lost.

 

[Cristian M]

The point of a haiku, also. Is that it should contain 17 syllables, no more, no less. Rhymes are really not important and that was what ben liked about it. 17 syllables, one image connected to one feeling and you're home

17 is a prime number. Maybe we should generalize the haiku definition and allow any prime number of syllabes (for example 37).

 

[Cristian M]

And this is why I've wanted to speak more languages fluently so that I can read authors in their native tongue.
I've read several things in their original language and then in English, and for the most part, the translations have been good. However, when you're fluent in one author's native language and read their novel in that language, you get more out of it.

I was so impressed when I learned that Vladimir Nabokov wrote all his novels in English, not Russian. To have a command of a secondary language as good as his was is inspiring for me.

You can have more fun with translated version because it feels more natural to read adapted expressions into your native language.

 

[Lilja]

One fun thing about translated book is this.

In the English edition of Thinner, when the gipsys are supposed to speak Romani King use phrases from the Swedish edition of The Shining. One is ”Ta mig inte till mormor!” which means "Don’t’ take me to granny".

Lilja

 

[Cristian M]

One fun thing about translated book is this.

In the English edition of Thinner, when the gipsys are supposed to speak Romani King use phrases from the Swedish edition of The Shining. One is ”Ta mig inte till mormor!” which means "Don’t’ take me to granny".

Lilja

TA MEG IKKE TIL MORMOR !!

 

[Lilja]

He also uses Swedish phrases like "Enkelt, men tillräckligt" (Simple - but not enough) and "Purpurfärgade ansiktet" (Purpurcoloured face).

Lilja

 

[Cristian M]

He also uses Swedish phrases like "Enkelt, men tillräckligt" (Simple - but not enough) and "Purpurfärgade ansiktet" (Purpurcoloured face).

Lilja

I wonder how hard would have been the effort to do a bit of online research to get the same words in proper Romani language. Maybe he really thinks Swedish is the language of gypsies ? Truth is, there are more and more gypsies in Scandinavia, they roam from Eastern Europe to Scandinavia to beg. Eastern Europe is poor and they get very little money from begging there, while Scandinavia is infinitely richer , so it's like moving from Hell to Heaven.

 

[Cristian M]

He also uses Swedish phrases like "Enkelt, men tillräckligt" (Simple - but not enough) and "Purpurfärgade ansiktet" (Purpurcoloured face).

Lilja

Lilja: takk skal du ha er du svensk ? Har du besøkt Norge før ?