h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Reply to comments in Peer Review of Islendingabok - the book of Icelanders

I'm not getting any better at saying what I intend , glad you picked me up on my ambiguity without (reasonably) taking offence . One friend once told me I had grossly insulted her (quite unintentionally) five times in one postcard.
The context for your three questions was all over your having read Desmond Bagley 'in translation'.
1. Literature - by which I meant books, rather than magazines newspapers etc. I think I should have just said 'books'.
2. In context of your reading Desmond Bagley 'in translation' I meant translation into Icelandic,
3. from English.

The only books I've ever read in their original (non-english) language are Grimm's fairy tales and some other German children's books - it helped that I already knew the plots (or could guess them from the pictures), and even so I'm sure my comprehension was rarely complete. I admire anyone who can comprehend in multiple languages (or play a musical instrument well for that matter).

Have you ever read the same book both in its original language and in translation? I remember reading about someone who learnt Russian to better appreciate Leo Tolstoy, and found War and Peace had gained in translation.


Pimms

I´m not offended at all, don´t worry... Don´t worry about not being able to make yourself understood... we all get that. Just keep trying and if you do screw up, try to sort it.

And now, back to Mr. Desmond Bagley

1. I read anything I can get my hands on and I find interesting, in english or icelandic.

2. Mostly, icelanders read stuff in translation. Younger generations are moving more towards english, but Icelandic is alive and kicking.

3. Since the english language is limited to only a few good authors, leaving so many more in so many languages, we obviously translate from those languages too.

I´ve read a few things in two languages, but normally, I don´t. The only thing I remember reading (at the moment, anyway), was Smilla's Sense of Snow, having read that in the original danish and also in icelandic. The icelandic actually suits that book very well, so I didn´t think it had gained anything in the danish.

cheers ismarah