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I dunno, some people dig saying "Machtübernahme" and "Größerdeutschland" Larry Send a noteboard - 30/11/2010 05:53:43 PM
I think there's something like 70 phonemes that utilize 26 letters in English, so yeah, the Latin alphabet is poorly adapted for that, especially after the Great Vowel Shift of the 15th century. I just bemoan the fact that most English dialects do not have a proper second person plural form (y'all needs to be mandatory :P).

And instead of making new letters to encompass all these sounds like a sensible language you just stick to basic Latin alphabet. And then you go and take a sensible letter like c and use it for sounds that already have letters for them, so you have one less.

I've always had this feeling that English (and French) squandered the great invention of alphabet. In Polish when you read a word you've never seen written before all it takes to say it properly is to say all the letters. All you need to know is alphabet. There is of course the matter of those double letters for phonemes that sometimes makes writing tricky. That's why sometimes someone asks how something is written but you don't say the whole word because it's obvious - just which one of those you use. This is why the movies about spelling bee contest sound really stupid after translation. In English you still need to memorize the whole words you could as well use ideograms - they take less space :P.


Yes, it's funny how I think Polish would be much easier for me to learn if the letters were reduced, while it seems for English that there might need to be diacritical marks for the English vowels at the very least to aid with pronunciation :P

But German as a model? -ig, -ch is pronounced so many different ways!

I had an impression those differences are the differences between different dialects of German. I sometimes only get


There is that, but I was thinking about the sound of -ig at the end of words compared to the medial placements.

Maybe not, but it is a dull translation, lacking much of the energy and humor I've found in the Spanish translation. If it's noticeable between translations, imagine how it'd be compared to the original.

This is always the problem with translation. There was a great debate about the translation in Poland. Whether it should stay as close as possible to original or whether the deviations are allowed to better translate the feeling of original. I feel the second one are usually more successful. For example the Polish translation of Shrek was very successful and won awards because it often didn't translate the jokes directly but used the local references (the guy who did it is now hired for all the animated blockbusters because he knows how to make it funny for Poles).


When I do translations for publication, I start with an initial translation that is as close to word-for-word as possible. Then I seek to "Americanize" it in order to preserve the spirit of the passage as much as possible. Although I may be mistaken having translated from a translation, but I suspect Sapkowski would be easier for many Anglo-Americans to "get" than certain Latin American writers because of the content of the jokes. There HAS to be a "well, Ciri, a dwarf, and a unicorn walk into a bar" joke out there, right? :P

One of Poland's best translators said that a translator has to be proficient in the language s/he translates from but must be a master of the language s/he translates to. This is probably why the best ones are poets and writers themselves.


I agree. My mastery of English was very good to begin with, but after a few years of occasional draft translations, it has improved quite a bit. Just finished a series of excerpts that I translated from Portuguese into English and a Brazilian writer/translator friend of mine corrected only a typo and made a title suggestion change. Apparently I got things right the first time, as I did "Americanize" some of the expressions used. But rendering Bulwer-Lyttonesque prose into English was a slog xx(


I live 35 miles away from a major city. My local library does have Quo Vadis, but not his other work. It'd make more sense for me to buy a used copy from Amazon or ABEbooks. Not too bad, only $15 for the 1890 Jeremiah Curtin translation. He's the guy who translated the edition of Quo Vadis I read and enjoyed immensely, so I'll probably go for that one next week.

I live now in a small town in US but luckily it is one built around big University so the library even has some books in Polish :P


Lucky you! :D
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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Andrzej Sapkowski, Times of Disdain/Tiempo del odio Larry - 27/11/2010 03:24:22 AM 1279 Views
Bizarre that you would go to a Spanish translation (A translation note) Tom - 27/11/2010 04:05:28 PM 712 Views
Not really, when that's the only complete translation available in a language I read Larry - 27/11/2010 06:54:18 PM 772 Views
It's an interesting discussion about that title... "disdain" is indeed somewhat weak. Legolas - 27/11/2010 06:35:14 PM 772 Views
When I have time later tonight, I'll translate the relevant passage near the end of the book Larry - 27/11/2010 06:57:23 PM 800 Views
Re: Andrzej Sapkowski, Times of Disdain/Tiempo del odio wahooka - 27/11/2010 09:37:07 PM 843 Views
The main reason why I lean toward "hatred" is later on Larry - 27/11/2010 09:43:43 PM 810 Views
Yeah, there may be a slight difference between Czech and English meaning of the word wahooka - 28/11/2010 10:49:23 AM 781 Views
Makes sense to me Larry - 28/11/2010 07:13:08 PM 839 Views
Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post Larry - 28/11/2010 02:35:38 AM 766 Views
Hm. I'd actually say it makes me more inclined to think "contempt" is right after all. Legolas - 28/11/2010 10:50:09 AM 844 Views
I didn't quote what happened immediately afterward, as that is a major spoiler Larry - 28/11/2010 07:16:39 PM 736 Views
Fair points. *NM* Legolas - 29/11/2010 12:26:28 AM 398 Views
Re: Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post wahooka - 28/11/2010 11:03:18 AM 770 Views
Re: Now for that passage near the end of the book I said I'd post Ellestra - 29/11/2010 01:12:58 AM 639 Views
Larry - 29/11/2010 04:53:12 AM 777 Views
I find it funny that all the discussion in the thread is about the best translation of the title. Stephen - 28/11/2010 10:17:44 PM 717 Views
Actually, it also plays a key role in the action of this book Larry - 29/11/2010 12:47:19 AM 868 Views
Oh, I'm just surprised one word can be that important Stephen - 29/11/2010 01:03:48 PM 665 Views
Time of Contempt is closest to original meaning Ellestra - 28/11/2010 11:42:56 PM 830 Views
Perhaps, but there's been a weakening of "contempt" in English over the past few generations Larry - 28/11/2010 11:55:16 PM 895 Views
Re: Perhaps, but there's been a weakening of "contempt" in English over the past few generations Ellestra - 29/11/2010 12:47:12 AM 848 Views
True, to a large extent at least Larry - 29/11/2010 04:57:00 AM 1084 Views
You made me want to go and reread this again Ellestra - 29/11/2010 12:07:46 AM 821 Views
I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Larry - 29/11/2010 12:32:23 AM 910 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Ellestra - 29/11/2010 01:05:30 AM 855 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Larry - 29/11/2010 05:02:48 AM 841 Views
Re: I'm in the midst of re-reading The Tower of the Swallow Ellestra - 29/11/2010 04:39:02 PM 878 Views
Still, seeing as many as six consonants together can be intimidating for some of us Larry - 29/11/2010 11:37:22 PM 886 Views
Re: Still, seeing as many as six consonants together can be intimidating for some of us Ellestra - 30/11/2010 02:27:03 AM 853 Views
I refuse to give the Germans credit when it comes to language and grammar issues! Larry - 30/11/2010 03:04:30 AM 1018 Views
I don't see why; except maybe page long nouns Ellestra - 30/11/2010 04:22:37 PM 1062 Views
I dunno, some people dig saying "Machtübernahme" and "Größerdeutschland" Larry - 30/11/2010 05:53:43 PM 883 Views
Hey those are short Ellestra - 01/12/2010 03:44:42 AM 903 Views
I REALLY can't wait for this to come out in English dacole - 30/11/2010 04:50:56 AM 832 Views
Re: I REALLY can't wait for this to come out in English Ellestra - 30/11/2010 03:45:33 PM 844 Views
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