I'm currently reading a Nora Roberts' book in portuguese (by Ulisseia), so far I'm really not into it and I think that's partly due to the translation. It's not the first by her I read in portuguese but the previous I tried was by another publisher (Saida de Emergência)and I didn't have as many problems as I'm doing now. I think the problem is that they even tried to translate the slang, I'm used to read slang in english but I certainly don't talk slang in portuguese! It's weird! And I certainly wont be trying anymore of hers unless it's in english.
This has been in my mind because I've also thinking about it regarding Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. I've been reading those in portuguese and somehow they also don't sound entirely right. I'm considering reading the english version to see wether I find substantial differences in how I enjoy the books.
Maybe the problem is the translator. I read my entire Agatha Christie collection in portuguese and they all sounded perfectly translated, even when I reread them today. Translators are a pretty important part of the process when a book is not published in it's original version. I'm wondering if I should start checking who translates the books I like / dislike...
Translators play a big part in how we enjoy a book! I got so annoyed with the Portuguese version of The Princess Diaries that I haven't tried the rest. That's one of the reasons that I've been buying a lot more books in English, that and the price, !of course
ReplyDeleteOh yes the price is a big plus! One would expect the foreign books to be more expensive but it's the other way around...
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's the same in Portuguese, but the Spanish translations of romance novels suck big time. Other types of fiction are fine, but for romance they don't seem to require much quality. I just refuse to read them, even category romance, which is actually cheaper in Spanish.
ReplyDeleteWell that would be true for the cheap Harlequin editions but not for the kind of editions I'm talking about. They are as good as what is done for literature classics and easily cost 15 to 17 euros...
ReplyDeleteHere at work I buy some international fiction translated into English, and if the reviewer is on the ball they'll mention the quality of the translation. I've literally read reviews along the lines of "nice story that isn't helped at all by sloppy translation" or something similar.
ReplyDeleteI think it's the same with audio books. Great books can be held back by a less than stunning narrator.....
I never tried an audiobook yet but I'm curious...
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