/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.21336679]

Anyone here actually prefer translations over originals? I borrowed translation of Wuthering Heights, few chapters in i got my Kindle and then downloaded original Wuthering Heights and started reading it. I am fluent in reading english, i understand 98% of books i get my hands on. Yet after reading maybe a chapter i came back to reading translation. I am not sure why, but it's much comfier for me to read in my native language, emotions in text, cruelty of this novel seems more immediate to me. Only thing i felt was wrong at the start, was use of dialect in some of the characters. Translator made use of mountain people dialect of my country to translate Joseph dialogues, and when it felt weird at the beginning - english people speaking carpathian dialect, but what he wrote is pretty funny actually, and guy obviously spend some time figuring it out.
Good translator really can make book better in my opinion.
Pic unrelated

[Anonymous No.21336726]

>>21336679
It is certainly understandable that some people may prefer to read translations of books rather than the original versions. Reading a translation can make a book more accessible, especially if the reader is not fluent in the language the book was originally written in. Additionally, a good translation can provide insights and nuances that might be lost in the original text. However, there are also many people who prefer to read books in their original language, as this can provide a more authentic reading experience. Ultimately, the decision to read a translation or the original version of a book is a personal one, and there is no right or wrong answer. It is up to the individual reader to decide which version they prefer.

[Anonymous No.21336744]

>>21336726
thank you for bump dear bot, but as i said i am fluent in english

[Anonymous No.21337072]

>tfw I have to read translations because my knowledge of Sumerian and Babylonian isn't good enough to read the original
>tfw I'm almost illiterate when it comes to cuneiforms

[Anonymous No.21337483]

Bump

[Anonymous No.21337489]

>>21336679
Henry James improves in other languages.

[Anonymous No.21337572]

>>21336679
Its funny how people speaking english as their primary language will always stress the importance of reading english texts in the original language, yet when it comes to great literary works in other languages that logic is thrown out the window. I do agree somewhat that reading a text in the original language is preferable, but ultimately do whatever works best for you.