HP in translation (wordplay in Chinese characters, etc.)

[zanooda2]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:

> > bboyminn:
 
> > I'm under the impression that the Russian translator did
> > just translate, they essentially took it upon themselves
> > to rewrite the book adding many scenes, dialog, and 
> > narrative that simply don't exist in the original.
 
> Alla:
 
> Eh, no, not really. A lot of bad translation, but do not remember 
> any additional scenes, just bad translation of existing ones. 


zanooda:

Hehe, I'll refresh your memory, Alla. SS/PS, example 1:


"Harry and Ron were delighted when she [Hooch] told Malfoy he'd been 
doing it wrong for years." 


That's one sentence, right? It's about the kids' first flying lesson.


Here is the translation (in my back translation, sorry, it's not very 
good either, I suck at Russian-English translation):


"Harry and Ron were happy when Madam Hooch informed Malfoy that he 
held his broom the wrong way. - But I've been flying for years! - 
Malfoy argued hotly. He sounded offended. Then Madam Hooch explained 
to him in a loud voice that it only meant he'd been flying wrong all 
these years. Malfoy listened in silence, as he understood that if the 
discussion would go on it might become clear that he was not as 
experienced as he wanted to seem."


If it's not an addition, I'll eat my hat (I don't risk anything, 
because I live in the South and don't have any hats :-).

I wanted to give more examples, but even this one exausted me! Some 
other time, maybe. I want to be fair -  such extensive changes to the 
text were made only in SS/PS, the rest of the books - just regular 
bad translations, nothing more. The first book is full of 
translator's inventions though. I suspect he was paid per word :-)!


zanooda, who apologizes for her awkward Russian-English translation, 
but who doesn't claim to be a professional translator, like the one 
she just cited ...