This is a dilema I have to face every time I chose a new book: should I read in original english or the translated version? Most of the greatest books (or at least the ones I want to read) are written by UK/US authors and I can read in english with full understanding.
Sometimes the translated books can feel weird to read, because some of the phrases, which may sound good in english, will usually sound funny when translated in my native language. For example, I have read the first book of game of thrones in my native language (lithuanian), just because that book was laying around in my house. The way they translated “bastard” into “pavainikis” (which is the correct term for this context) just doesn’t fit and sounds very funny in the dialogue. When Jon says “But I’m a bastard!” in english this word sounds very harsh and mean, but when he says it translated version “Bet juk aš pavainikis!” it’s just so punny and very silly. I actually laughed a bit right now. Also, I have no idea how the translators handled the Hodor and “hold the door!”, because in lithuanian it’s “laikyk duris”. I have no idea how they managed to go from “laikyk duris” into Hodoras. But the translations are not bad all the time. For example, I have read Orwel’s 1984 and Animal Farm in english and also checked a few sections from the translated version. Both versions have this dark and gritty feeling with words and the lithuanian version seems to get the writing style of the author. So usually the translated books are hit or miss.
The reason why I have this dilema, Is because I want to improve my native language speaking skills as well as my writing skills. I am exposed to so much english everyday, that it seems that it makes me sound like an NPC when I talk in my native language. And I guess I just miss the feeling of reading in lithuanian. But at the same time I don’t want to miss out on what the author truly meant with his words and I really want to get a feeling of their each individual writing styles, which I might not get when reading the translated versions.
by anx778
10 Comments
As a fantasy fan a lot of books I want to read are in English and not translated which makes it somewhat easier, but I relate to the dilemma. I enjoy reading in English and it’s great for improving language, but at the same time I want to support local authors. Not to mention how bad for the language it is if people don’t read in it.
I actively tried reading more in my native language in 2023, partially because it’s so much cheaper than imported books at the moment, but also because it’s something I care about. Looking at my storygraph statistics I got to about 35% my native language and 65% English, which I’m pretty happy with for now.
I always read English books in English. Same with movies, or other media. I prefer to see the story the way the author envisioned it, instead of getting a translator’s interpretation of it.
O šeip, jeigu nori geriau lietuvių išmokt, tai yra daugybė lietuviškų knygų. Jos yra daug geresnis būdas mokytis. Ten tikrai rasi ir žodyną, ir gramatiką, ir t.t.
There’s such thing as bilingual reduced emotional resonance. Many people find it easier to read in foreign languages because they are less emotionally connected to the second language. I would die of embarrassment if I read in my native language one character calling another angel/sunshine/sweetie/etc. Whereas in English it’s mostly fine for me, maybe a bit cheesy, but it doesn’t make me want to hide under the table and scream “Whyyyyyy?”.
Thus, personally, I prefer to read romance and fantasy in English, but I don’t mind reading something more emotionally neutral, like detective stories, retellings of mythology, autobiographies, nonfiction and so on in my native Ukrainian. I still mostly read them in English if they are originally written in English though.
If the book was written by an English-speaking author I read it in English. There’s always something that gets lost in translation, so if I have the ability to read the original work, why waste it? As someone who writes as an hobby, it’s also a great exercise to become more familiar with the language. When the author writes in a language I don’t speak, I’m more inclined to read their book translated into my language (Italian) rather than English, that is unless an Italian translation is hard to find or unavailable at all. Italian writers are strictly read in Italian; there’s no point in relying on a translation if you have access to the original source—unless you aren’t doing it for research purpose, I guess.
As for your dilemma with improving your native language skills, aren’t there any Lithuanian authors you can read? If you reread books, you could also read the same book twice, once in English and once in Lithuanian.
When possible l read books in their original language. Unfortunately I only speak 4 languages, so in many cases I still need to read translations. In that case I have preferences depending on the original language. Russian? I’ll read the French version. Asian? I prefer the english translation.
I always prefer the language the book was originally written.
If the source language closer to my native language, then I’ll read the translation to my native language, otherwise English.
For example, I’ll read the Croatian translation of Dostoevsky since Russian is closer to Croatian than English.
No point reading a translation if I can read its native language, I grabbed some German books but I’m not sure I want to learn it so I might end up grabbing a translation later
Depends on the book. If it’s a classic originally written in English, I read it in English. If not, I prefer my native.
everything in english, except if it was originally written in my native language.
English is my second language but it’s my primary language at this point so I read books in English because it’s just easier (easier to read and easier to get the books living in the uk). I have been wanting to read in Polish but every time I give it a try, it’s just that little bit too much effort and feels like a chore when reading is meant to be enjoyable. I have a goal to read at least 1 book in polish this year though. Any Polish books I’m interested in I just haven’t read yet because I would rather read them in Polish eventually than read the English translation