> > What I want to know is, do they CHANGE the text
> >of books, or add things, to make the story more
> >"acceptable" in different countries? I hope not,
> >but if so, what do you all think about that? Am
> >I the only one who thinks it would be completely
> >wrong?
>
> Yes, actually, I believe this is unfortunately a rather common practice, especially when a translation is involved from the original language of the story to the vernacular of the country. For instance, I read an interview with Philip K. Dick in which he told of how he refused to let his book "The Man in the High Castle" (a book set in an alternate reality in which the AXIS powers won WWII, and describing the rather terrible world that resulted from that) be released in Germany until he had personally gone over the German language translation. He went over it wordy by word, and was appalled at what the translators had done to his work. They hadn't "softened" his anti-Nazi message nearly as much as he had feared, but they had changed the whole tone of the book from a thought-provoking SF novel to a slam-bam adventure novel. The response he got from the translators when asked why they had done this was "We didn't know you could read German."

> > I heard there were some other changes from the
> >British to the American version. But it's *set*
> >in Britain! That's where it's *from*! I strongly >disagree with editing out regional or local
> >flavour for the benefit of readers in other
> >parts of the world. If kids don't understand
> >something in a book, they'll ask, or go and find
> >out. They'll learn. That's half the point of
> >great children's books like Harry Potter, surely?
>
> No, the point of great children's books is to make the publisher oodles of money. And if flavor is spelled with a "u", it won't make any money in America, or so the thought-pattern of some people goes. I think it's abhorent to edit British books for petty things like Americanizing the spelling, but it happens all the time. Americans are notoriously ethnocentric--we generally expect the whole world to talk and think and spell like we do.
>
> On the other hand, I've heard of publishers editing *in* British-spellings of words for American books that are to be released in the UK or other places that use British-style spelling, so it's probably a double-edged sword.
>
> -- Dave

Some excellent points made above and no arguments here, but one thing springs to mind.

I am an absolute avid fan of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, a series of some 24 books (and growing) and so involved that he co-authored a reference book on the rest of them. In it he made some interesting points about local differences and translations. For instance, there is a phenomenon known in the UK as 'White van man.' Basically, anybody who drives a white van must be a maniac! But what is the American equivalent? or Australian? Dutch? Nigerian?

If I said "she's a real Essex Girl" who outside the UK knows what I mean?

Translations have to take into account local eupemisms without losing their actual meaning. A feat that is so often not achieved.

Case in point. The film title 'Batman' was translated into Norwegian as 'Fluttering Mouse Man'! It didn't inspire the locals.

One last thing

I say Pavement - You say Sidewalk

Boot - Trunk
Bonnet - Hood
Sump - Oil Pan
Lift - Elevator
Alsatian - German Shepherd
Toilet - Restroom
Petrol - Gas
Estate - Station wagon
Motorway - Freeway
Tap - Faucet
Trousers - Pants
Pants - Underwear

Anybody know any more?

Be 'ef with horseradish makes it more t' asty

PS 'Essex Girl' means somewhat dim and easily picked up in nightclubs!