Small Talk - Seite 3

ACH · Anmeldungsdatum: 26.01.2006 Beiträge: 117

In all fairness to Yellow, I do not think he meant to imply that every book should be read in English no matter the original language. This IS the English board, so it is not too surprising that people tend to focus on English.

Anyhow, I certainly do agree that ideally one would read a book in the original language. However I would like to point out that there are examples of very good translations out there and we should be careful not to condemn reading in one's own language too strictly (for that is the feeling I get with some of the above posts).

Shikyo · Anmeldungsdatum: 10.11.2006 Beiträge: 4

englishgirly · Anmeldungsdatum: 13.11.2006 Beiträge: 1

I'm fine and you.
I hope anybody will answered to me.
bye

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

I'll answer to you! I'm fine, too.
I just had a really nice weekend with a lot of English Big Laugh

. And you?

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

oh why does nobody write anything here anymore??

well I was last weekend in London. Have you already been there? Do you like London?

Oh and I saw you were talking about Harry Potter 7.
Did you already read it?

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

You were in London last weekend? (place first Augenzwinkern

).
Yeah, I've been there I guess four times at least and I really like the city, I even prefer it to Paris, because the inner city of Paris is very much the same everywhere - London has a greater variety - and the outer city, well, it's a lot of satellite towns and new, high-rised buildings without heart...
And what do you say about the city?
Another very interesting city is Berlin, what do you say about that one?

@HP:
Of course I read it - as I also said, I've only read it in English so far and that'll suffice for me. For further reading about my opinion, you may also visit the web-z-forum, where you'll find a thread entirely about HP7 (but in German, of-course).

Greetings
MI

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

yeah I was with 3 friends 'cause 2 of them are going to move to the USA....

I like London. But I hate the tubes. They smelled so bad... so at the end I only went by bus to all places I wanted to go. And the tubes were very loud.

I was during my last summer holidays in Paris. I like it. the only problem was that I don't speak french. And because of the undergrounds I got many headaches.
But I liked most the LV-Shop in Paris. That was such a big shop!

Well I haven't been yet to Berlin. And it's not really a town were I really want to go to....

@HP: I read the 7th HP first in english...and than in german. but I didn't like the german translation. Don't ask me why!
oh and how long did you need to read it? I only read that you needed a day for the 6th HP.

abrazo,
chocolate

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

Well, a bit longer, I guess... two days? But if I had started in the morning, I could have finished in the evening.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

oh okay.

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

I didn't like the German translation in the first place, so I didn't like HP at all until I read it during my stay in England in English.

Reading a book in its original language is always a lot different from reading a translation. Mostly, the translations are not nearly as good as the original text, however there are certain books, where the translation is better (although I couldn't name you one at the moment).

So I can understand why you don't like the German translation - I can tell you you are not the only one Augenzwinkern

.

Greetings
MI

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

I read a book which is a little bit like gossip Girl. I don't know whether you know it but this year it will be on TV at, I think it was Pro7.

First I read it in German. The girl was making some jokes but I didn't get them. Then, I was in the USA I read them in English. Now the jokes made sense.

Basically I ddon't like the translation because when they translate the jokes they are not nearly as funny as they were in english...

Oh and what sort of books do you read?

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

Oh, I know Gossip Girl (never read it though Augenzwinkern

). It's the favourite book of my cousine and about the only book she ever reads, so I've seen it there and read the covertexts.

What I like to read? Basically everything, but mostly only those books that teach me something. From historical novels (obviously I like history) to modern crime fiction and fantasy. At the moment, I read a lot of "old" stuff, like Camus, Goethe, etc. to broaden my horizon, but also because most of the older texts are deeper in thinking and have different approaches to a topic. Therefore, I especially like to read utopias and dystopias, as I like to gain ideas through books (I have also started to write a little bit, but I wouldn't publish Augenzwinkern

). I just like to think about the contents of a book, as I like thinking in itself.
Besides, I like to read books about history. I've got some books about Japanese, Indian and Chinese, as well as European history at home. And as my parents love to read, too, there are always enough books around...

And what do YOU like to read?

Greetings
MI

PS: You are quite right about the translations. Also plays on words often just don't make any sense, once they are translated.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

oh and what do you think about gossip girl after reading the covertexts?

Mainly I read love storys. Maybe you know Nora Roberts. She's one of my favorite authors. I also read crimes especially from Agathe Christie.
At fantasy I only read the trilogies of Trudi Canavan.
The only 'old' books I read so far were, in german, Quo vadis? and Effi Briest.

If you read utopias and distopias, did you watch 'Equilibrium-Killer of Emotion' and 'Fahrenheit 451'?

I think the only history book I read was about Vietnam....and that was kind of boring...

greets chocolate

muetzli · Anmeldungsdatum: 15.02.2008 Beiträge: 39 Wohnort: Siegen

Well, I do like love stories, either.
But also some old stuff, like Jane Austen. In fact, she wrote love stories,too, but I like how she expressed herself. I do not like those 'worse-case' stuff, like "Der Schwarm" by Schätzing, but I admit, it's written very well!
And books, which teach me something, are my favourites. At the moment I just read english books, because they teach me expressing myself.
Well, thats all about my reading intentions Augenzwinkern

muetzli · Anmeldungsdatum: 15.02.2008 Beiträge: 39 Wohnort: Siegen

@MI:
Did you stay in England for a longer time? Or are you studying English? Dunno, just wanted to know smile

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

What I thought about Gossip Girl while Reading the cover? Well, I believed it to be a typical book for female youngsters. Relationship problems, money and a lot of "gossip" Augenzwinkern

. It might be interesting (it seems to have a story line) - but probably not for me Big Laugh

.

@muetzli:

No, I am not studying yet (obligatory social service...), but I'll start studying physics this year. I have been to England (Southend-on-Sea to be precise) for four months when I was in year 9.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

well I like to read english books because the translations are mostly not as good as the original text and I read them because.... well I don't know. Maybe because I like the English language?

@ MI: what sort of physics?

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

Just physics. General physics. I will have to specialise during my studies, but there are many fields I would like to work in and many more I don't know anything about, yet.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

Oh okay. Fine.
Then you've already finished school, nó?

Saliencia · Anmeldungsdatum: 18.05.2008 Beiträge: 10

I'm new here and i just wanted to jump in the talk you got here.

I also don't like the German translations. I experienced that while reading the Dan Brown books, like Angels & Demons or The DaVinci Code. I read them first in German and about a half year later in English. The Original Text was written alot better and some actions i could understand better than in the german translation.
My mates normally say im stupid 'cause i read all books in English.

Right now im reading The Lord of the Rings and it's way better than the German Translation. You get deeper into the story and everything is better.

And about HP7 and the other HP books. Actually for me they werent that hard to understand. In my opinion also a 5th grader could read them.

Greetz

ps: yes i hate to set commas

Jack · Ehrenmoderator Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2006 Beiträge: 549

Of course the translation of a novel can hardly ever be as good as the original novel, that is a known fact. Yet, do not criticize professional literary translators too much since their job can be very tough. Studying translation myself (not literary translation though), I know it is anything but child's play. smile

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

I never had the intention to critizise the translators smile

. We must not forget how important their job is to give us the opportunity of reading a different culture's literature, when we don't understand their language.
I mean, I myself profit a lot from their work. There is so much interesting literature written in languages I don't understand that it would be a shame if I had no access to these authors via translation.

Perhaps I should emphazise the fact that most translations are not bad, mostly they are very good - but the original is even better. And - as you also say - that is only natural.

By the way, if you allow me a question: What sort of translation are you studying if not literary translation? Simultaneous translation or translation between parties at international meetings, etc.?

Jack · Ehrenmoderator Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2006 Beiträge: 549

@MI: I guess what you meant is interpreting (or "Dolmetschen" in German), but what I meant by translation was translating written material. So far I've only done general translations, but I will have to deal with technical translations next semester as well.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

Jack · Ehrenmoderator Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2006 Beiträge: 549

Well, I wouldn't say it's crazy to read books in foreign languages. It really helps you to learn specific idioms and to improve your own style. So it's not crazy to read English books, but it's lazy not to do so. smile

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

Saliencia · Anmeldungsdatum: 18.05.2008 Beiträge: 10

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

@ Saliencia: I read the first 5 books in english when I was 12, too.
I read them in english 'cause I was in the USA when I was 12 over the summer holidays and it was quite boring over there at the house of my aunt.
and for me they weren't hard to understand. but well... I was already in the 8th grade and not in the 5th or in the 7th like your cousin, I guess.

muetzli · Anmeldungsdatum: 15.02.2008 Beiträge: 39 Wohnort: Siegen

Well, I read HP1-5 in english, too. And I think it was quite easy, the vocabulary isn't that hard and the structure as well.
In my opinion it's really important to read books in foreign languages, because you improve not only your vocabulary, but sentence structures and phrases, too. And I think it's really more fun to read them, because you are more concentrated on what you're reading and what are the characters or the narrator's telling you. It's even more intensive!

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

I read all the books in english and I read the 7th the day it was published.

oh and muetzli, it's also about how old you are. If you're older of course it's easier for you.

I read english books because I like the story and not because I want to know something about the grammar or sentence structure. when I read the sentence I don't aks myself how the sentence structure is.

And I don't know what you mean when you say you're more concentrated when you read the books in english. Aren't you concentrated when you're reading a story in german?

Gargy · Anmeldungsdatum: 25.05.2008 Beiträge: 62

Wow, do you call that small talk? Anyways, I find it quiet interesting what your talking about rihgt now.

I read my first english book when I was 14. Coz' I thought it was cool or something.

I believe someone who's not a native speaker certainly is more concentrated reading an english book since you don't want to miss any important detail.

edit:
@chocolate: Maybe it's a difference if you're sitting here in good ol' Germany trying to learn English on your own, or if your visiting your aunt in the US. That something to envy you for. Big Laugh

ACH · Anmeldungsdatum: 26.01.2006 Beiträge: 117

Sorry to chime in at random, but I am currently trying to relieve the boredom caused by excess studying (Chemistry, if you must know).
I believe I have voiced my opinion on this before, but I while I also tend to favour the original text, reading a well-made translation is not that bad - and if your grasp of the original language is not good, then you are probably better off reading a translation (in terms of fully understanding the text, that is - if you want to practice then so be it).
I would point out that, for example, the German translation of LOTR is quite good (the one I have, at any rate).

Last, but not least (and before I go back to my Chemistry) - what books are people reading at the moment ? I am currently reading "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" by J.Verne but obviously that's not an English book. The most recent English text I have read would have to be "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" which is an amazing graphic novel.

So long,
ACH

Gargy · Anmeldungsdatum: 25.05.2008 Beiträge: 62

THe only english book I'm reading is "Physics of semiconductor devices", but that might not be suitable to discuss Big Laugh

ACH · Anmeldungsdatum: 26.01.2006 Beiträge: 117

I did, in fact, mean to restrict my query to fictional texts. Otherwise I'd have to say I am 'reading' "Statistical Mechanics" (K.Huang), "Organic Chemistry" (Clayden, Greeves, Warren and Wothers) but that's besides the point.

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

Well I read my first english book when I was 10. that was in class 5.

My last book in english was a love story - of course - 'Natural born charmer' written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
And the next book I want to read is the autobiographie of Barack Obama 'cause I think it's quite interesting.

@ACH: I also read "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" by J.Verne" in german. I think it's a french book 'cause Jules Verne was a frenchman.

MI · Administrator Anmeldungsdatum: 22.01.2005 Beiträge: 1140 Wohnort: München

I have just finished "V for Vendetta" - obviously an English book (unfortunately I haven't got the original comic, yet) and I reread "Rhinocéros" from Ionesco (I've got it in French and German) for some project of mine. At the moment I am "only" reading Faust Part Two, but I am thinking of buying "The three Musketeers", as this is also some classic book I want to read...

@ACH

The translation of LOTR is - as most translations - very good (I mean, they even translated the poetry into poetry, which is quite difficult), but as far as I know, it is not complete.
At least in the German version that I posses, some Appendices are missing (as described above)...

ACH · Anmeldungsdatum: 26.01.2006 Beiträge: 117

Yes, I agree "V for Vendetta" is excellent - funnily enough, it was also written/drawn by the same people who made the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the graphical novel was, at any rate).

Jules Verne was indeed a French author (one I happen to like very much). One of the most fascinating things about his books is the view of science-fiction that is portrayed there - namely 19th century sci-fi. Quite different from current scifi I must say, and very amusing.

By the way, do you know about http://www.freerice.com ? It's quite an entertaining way of improving your vocabulary, although it does get repetitive if you do it too much.

Anyway, I best get back to my Chemistry.

So long,
ACH

chocolate4ever · Anmeldungsdatum: 09.04.2008 Beiträge: 180

ACH · Anmeldungsdatum: 26.01.2006 Beiträge: 117

e' anche l'imperfetto di 'esssere' in Italiano ;D.

EDIT: fix infinitive-> imperfect.