US & UK editions; dumbing down?

[jrober4211]

No: HPFGUIDX 35589

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "colebiancardi" <muellem at b...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Terry van Ettinger" <ganvira at e...> 
wrote:
> > I had not really noticed much in the way of words being replaced 
for 
> U.S.
> > benefit, but then I've read half of the books via Jim Dale's 
> narrated
> > versions and the other half from the Braille Institute versions.  
So 
> it's
> > possible that I have yet to see a U.S. edition.  In any event, I 
> personally
> > think that the language used in the books should be left as is.  
> 
> If you've been listening to the Jim Dale's narrated versions, 
you've 
> been hearing the U.S. edition.  Earlier, someone had posted a list 
of 
> all the differences between the UK & US and it wasn't that many 
> individual words that were translated.  However, I didn't like the 
> fact that whole sentences were reworded -- thought that was kinda 
> of weird.  And honestly, I think even I, the "dumbed-down" American 
> knows what "Mum" means!  They really didn't need to change that to 
> "Mom".  But, again, the point was that the story is intact -- it is 
> not like a plot change or anything.  
> 
> One pertinent change that did happen to affect the perception of a 
character, as far as I was concerned, was changing Madam Pomfrey's 
title from "matron" in the UK version to "nurse" in the US version. 
There is a big difference in the roles, according to one english list 
member who explained it to me, hence the reason for my confusion and 
distaste for that character. I am alot more charitable towards Madam 
Pomfrey now that I understand what her true role is as a wizarding 
healthcare provider. 

Jo Ellen