US & UK editions; dumbing down?

[greyshi]

No: HPFGUIDX 35600

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "colebiancardi" <muellem at b...> wrote:

> 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.  


I read enough British books as a kid to have my spelling influenced, 
which may not win me any US spelling bees, but I don't see it as a
bad 
thing. So I kind of understand the vocabulary and word changes, even
if 
I don't like it overall. Scholastic themselves did it very 
inconsistently, though.

However, I don't understand why they changed whole sentences and 
passages! The biggest glaring change for me is with the Sorting Hat. 
The text states that the hat has three people left to sort and then
it 
goes and sorts four more! They stick Dean Thomas in. I'm not sure
why, 
unless it was to satisfy US PC-ism since they make a point to mention 
Dean's race. I've seen the Spanish, Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese 
language translations, and these follow the UK edition for this 
passage.

Greyshi