Translations of HBP - how the names are translated

[dumbledore11214]

No: HPFGUIDX 144872

> > Alla wrote:
<snip>
> > I suppose the reason why they decided to translate some names in 
> > Harry Potter initially, because JKR has so many talking names, 
but 
> > boy, oh boy, some of them hurt my ears  and eyes SO much. They 
> just 
> > sound awkward. <snip> > Oh, another thing - they translated 
Neville's last name into 
> Russian 
> > directly, sort of and every time when I read it, I start 
giggling, 
> I 
> > cannot help myself. It sounds in russian as "dolgopooops". <snip>
> 
> vidar_fe writes:
> They do this in the norwegian translations as well. As far as I 
know 
> every single name except Harry's have been changed! :-(
> 
> The translator has even managed to turn Neville's last name into 
> Langballe, or 'long testicle' *am very outraged*! Poor boy....
>


Alla:

This is SO interesting. I guess this is a direction translators of 
Harry Potter go to - to translate as many names as possible or 
something. I don't think it is  the best one, but if the publishers 
wanted it, I wish the translators were at least consistent, you 
know - as in translating every name which IS talking, although as I 
said I would prefer them NOT translating any.

I don't know about Norvegian translation, but in Russian translation 
for some reason SNAPE is either translated or simply misspelled, I 
don't even know how to call what they did with his last name . To 
give you an approximate idea - his last name is pronounced closely 
to how the word "snow" sounds in Russian, but not quite. It sounds 
something like " SNAG". I wish I could figure out why.

As to Neville, someone wrote to me off list and explained that in 
English his last name IS supposed to make us giggle, so I guess 
russian translator accomplished his task, I suppose and I guess 
Norvegian did it too, but as you said - poor boy indeed.

Oh, another example of inconsistency - "Black" is supposed to be 
talking name, right? It is left as it is in Russian for some reason.

I already said how annoyed I was with translations of  the Houses 
names, but since I have not read the book 2 in Russian translation, 
I did not know how they named  the founders  and since today I read 
the chapter in Russian translation where Tom comes comes to Hecuba 
and sees Hufflepuff cup, I learned what they made of poor Helga 
Hufflepuff. For some reason she became "Penelope" in Russian and it 
is not like the name Penelope is easier to understand to Russian 
speaking readers - as far as I know it is NOT a wide spread name in 
Russian. Gah again.

Alla