I've recently heard that the Harry Potter series had been "translated" in American English. I've read books in both British English and American English for years and I've never perceived them as 2 different languages. There are a few differences like there are differences between Canadian French and Belgian French but it's still the same language, right?
I remember I bought a Stephen King novel in England a few years ago and the same thing had happened: the book had been completely rewritten in British English. I hate when publishing houses do that! Aren't they supposed to write somewhere in the first pages that it is not the original text? Are there other people like me here who prefer reading a book exactly as the author has written it - even though it means learning a little more about the author's culture?
American version of Harry Potter?!
by Dave_T 4 Replies latest jw friends
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Dave_T
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KW13
i agree, i suppose it makes it more interesting that way too.
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Arthur
I remember I bought a Stephen King novel in England a few years ago and the same thing had happened: the book had been completely rewritten in British English.
This must have created some perplexity. When you would read a phrase such as "bloody little girl", you wouldn't know if she was really bleeding, or if the narrator was just pissed off at her.
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Mary
I've recently heard that the Harry Potter series had been "translated" in American English
I believe the title was already changed when the books first came out. One of them was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and one of them was "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone"......there are some phrases that I didn't understand (like "snogging". I didn't know that meant "kissing") but maybe they're translating it for the kids......
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Dave_T
Hi Mary,
You're absolutely right. The American version was titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and the original title is "Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone". I'd really like to know the publishing house's reason for this major change. Funny thing is the movie adaptation of this book kept the original title and I think the dialogues are mostly in British English (even though the scriptwriter was American).