Charleston Willy

Don't you hate when a book comes out with a "translated version" that sucks 100 fold worse than the original? Simply put, I do.

It's like, you might as well be watching a dubbed version of Harry Potter with chapped lips (the lack of Cherry Chapstick being the kicker).

AND...(starting with a conjunction to show my heady disapproval) Although the people in the theatre might not be laughing at the right parts, at least a v.o. (version originale) beats lips moving out of synch to "Helly Potta or Hairy Pothole" or whatever absolutely-Wrong pronunciation is uttered. Case-in-point : "Kiffe Kiffe demain" by Faiza Guene.

Here we have a wonderful little story about a troubled youth who comes from the ghettoed projects, trying to find her way to womanhood. There are so many pop and cultural references specific to France (especially the slang and lingo used) that merely does not reciprocate on the American translated take, that they should never have translated my Livre de Poche in the first place! No one should ever be required to Buy or Read Kiffe Kiffe à l'Anglaise.

Why? Need I go on? Because it loses it's spunk, it's cool, it's pizazz and turns into a limp noodle. In laymen's or rather ghetto speak ..I don't want no top ramen shiat! Yada? For the more hardcore, ebonify your lingo, like so: "ah don' like it at all what 'chew trippin foo'"

It could also be due to the loss of humor in the translated version...jokes just don't deliver, lines sound unnatural. No one in their right mind would talk like that. In this next example, you will see what I mean and nod your head, then jump off a cliff like all good lemmings do.

Ok, this is kind-of a weak example, but I randomly selected a pg. so ya get whatcha get!:

"Even if i think Mme DuSomethingorother's a fool too, at least she does a better job of playing social worker to the local poor"(9)

Here's the original: " Mme Duquelquechose, même si je la trouve conne, elle joue mieux son role d'assistante social de quartier qui aide les pauvres" (19)

...conne is a much stronger word than fool. this is probably the sorryest example i could find but you catch my drift ya?

I'd also like to point out the inconvenience of American books being all-different-sizes. Most books in France are all the same size (depending on the type) so they fit cute and perfectly on the bookshelf.

Plus they're small and easy to carry on the metro, so more people read them. I'm just being biased here, but it makes a lot of sense. Doesn't it bother you when a bookshelf is full of awkwardly sized books? Just me then? Alright...

I understand the argument that people who Don't read french need the means to access the book, thus a terrible bastardized version of it should rightfully be available....but it hurts just a little bit. I wish there were some sort of way to learn the common languages- Spanish, German, French, Chinese, English, Italian the quickest and easiest way possible.

Although this is too idealistic, if Everyone knew more languages, we'd become more well-rounded people and have access to more information, more resources, more human communication. Perhaps the cynics and xenophobes will criticize me for this, but wuteva mang!

I wonder if some of the smartest people know the most languages? That would make a lot of sense to me.