High-quality translation is important with any type of project, but arguably most important in the literary arts. You would not want an embarrassing translation in a legal or business document, of course, but when you introduce the arts into the translation industry, it’s an entirely different ballgame. You must consider more nuances and subtleties, and a reputable translator is charged with preserving the voice of the author while simultaneously turning the literature—whether poetry or fiction—into a different language.
There’s no easy answer to the question, “Who decides which books are translated?” Sometimes a publisher gets the rights to a book and thinks translating it into a certain language will be profitable. Other times it is a complete passion project, and a translator takes on a beloved piece because he or she wants to share it with an entirely new demographic. However, in celebration of World Book Day last month, the question, “Which books have been translated the most often?” was answered.
Are Your Classics in Your Native Language?
Many people know The Little Prince was originally in French, but did you know Pinocchio was originally in Italian? Both are favorite children’s books that have been translated into hundreds of languages—253 and 240, respectively, to be exact (and counting). Coming in third is Andersen’s Fairy Tales with 159 translations, followed by The Adventures of Tintin with 112 translations and The Alchemist with 80 translations. Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 67 languages, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn boasts 65 translations.
Additional honorable mentions include Sophie’s World (60), Things Fall Apart (50), Perfume (47), One Hundred Years of Solitude (37) and, surprisingly, The Catcher in the Rye comes in last in this list of 50 at just 30 translations. However, it’s also important to bear in mind different laws and cultural mores may stop some books from being safely translated and/or distributed in some countries.
Stop Getting Lost in Translation
It’s a pretty safe bet that if you buy a book with a skilled translation, the gist of the original will be preserved. However, ask a history professor or medieval literature professor, and they will likely have strong opinions on which translation is best—which really boils down to which translation they prefer (unless of course they speak the original language themselves).
Whether in the literary arts, business, personal communication or another form of data, the quality of translation matters. After all, technically Le Petit Prince could translate into The Diminutive Prince, The Toy Prince, The Petty Prince or The Remote Prince. That sounds like quite a different storyline than The Little Prince people know and love. If you need a book or business document translated, contact Verbatim Solutions for a free estimate. They provide high-quality translation and interpretation services you can depend on for all types of businesses.
