Translation and Cultural Issues - UK and US differences

[joanne0012]

No: HPFGUIDX 34191

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "tangawarra1" <rachrobins at h...> wrote:
> This may be a dumb question - but how do readers in the US feel about 
> the slight translations that have occurred in the US versions? the 
> most obvious being the PS / SS substitution (if anyone can shed any 
> light on why "philosopher" was not deemed appropriate for the US 
> market i'd greatley appreciate it - i'm very curious). 
> 
>
A Scholastic VP  decided to "dumb down" HPSS for American audiences, 
ostensibly so Americans could read the book and have "the same experience" as 
British readers -- i.e., not get slowed down by encountering unusual or confusing 
terms.  Sheesh!  Sorry, the link to the interview, which appeared on Scholastic's 
own pages, doesn't work any more; the VP's last name was Levine and his 
condescending attitude towrads his audiences was absolutely appalling for 
someone involved in educational publishing.

BTW, I put together a poll in the HPFGU-Movies list that asks whether 
respondents are American or not, and whether they'd heard of the Sorcerer's 
Stone or not.  Turns out that nearly half of the Americans hadn't heard of it 
(and that's among the select, intellectual grownups on that board!), so the editor 
was right about Americans not recognizing the term, though that's not 
necessarily justification for making the changes.  I certainly prefer the British 
versions, myself.