Dumbledore's Motives - Fanged Servant - Abroad - French

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 40916

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "rosie" <crana at n...> wrote:
> 
> I'm cracking on with the French version, it's good, but some of the
names and the way things have been translated are truly weird. For
example, in the English, Aunt Petunia's face is "pale", in the French
she's "livid". Sort of opposite, really!
 
> Fawkes has become Fumseck (which just sounds so rude and I dont know
why)!
> 
> Rosie  
> 
> 
> 
Off on a total tangent, why did they translate ANY of the names.
People's names are never translated. Just because I moved to a new
country, I wouldn't have to change my name to the local translation of
that name. It's just plain stupid. 

I think this is a gross error on the part of the publisher. For
example, in Spanish they looked at Dumbledore and couldn't figure out
'dore' so they stripped it off and were left with 'Dumb'. Dumb means
mute or not able to speak, so they called him Professor Silencio
(Professor Silence). Is there some twisted path of logic that can make
sense out of changing Dumbledore to Silence? And is the name Silence
in  any way shape or form an improvement or even an equal? 

I'm surprise JKR let them get way with this. It's insanity as far as
I'm concerned. I could see it if it was an extremely different
languare like Chinese, or Japanese. Then you might have to make some
compromised. 

Am I alone on this, or do other people see this as totally illogical
insanity?

BBOY_MN

PS: Sorry to be such a jerk about this issue but it really punches my
buttons. I have never been able to come up with even the most obscure
twisted path of logic, that justifies translating a person name.