10-22-2004, 10:24 AM
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 Harry Potter in Ancient Greek
Opinion Journal has an article about why Bloomsbury felt the need to translate 'Philosopher's Stone' into ancient Greek. The title of the book will read, "Hareios Poter Kai he tou Philosophou Lithos". Quote: |
Why did they do it? "Well, the Latin translation was such a success," a Bloomsbury spokesperson deadpanned, that they thought they'd give Greek a try as well. That's right. There's a Latin version already ("Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis"). In fact, over the past few years, Harry Potter books (especially the first) have been quietly translated into scores of languages, some of them obvious and sensible, some of them, like the Welsh version, downright odd.
| Translating to Welsh is considered odd because the majority of Welsh people speak English as their first language thereby meaning not many people would read the books in their native tongue. Quote: |
Ms. Rowling, according to Mr. Wilson, "was so thrilled with the way that kids who had never read anything before read Harry Potter" that she hopes Master Potter's exploits will have the same effect on dead or dying languages that its promoters claim they have had on reading in general.
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"Hareios Poter Kai he tou Philosophou Lithos," will give struggling students of classical languages something to read besides Aeschylus and Aristotle.
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Mr. Wilson expressed that hope when he told me, "If the Greek Harry Potter points only one or two people in the direction of classics, I'll be happy."
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But the rewards of even halting comprehension of that ancient language do not come from discovering the ancient Greek word for "Hogwarts" (Hyogoetou) or "Quidditch" (ikarosphairike)--both coinages of Mr. Wilson--but from reading some of the great thinkers and writers of our civilization in their original language.
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People are reading, yes, they counter. But reading what? "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" is good fun, but it's hard to argue that it's much more than that.
And yet it's hard not to worry that translating Harry Potter, or Winnie-the-Pooh, into classical languages does more to bring these languages down to the level of a witty joke than to elevate the texts being translated.
He's been asked more than once by sniffy fellow classicists why he would bother with such a frivolous project. His answer is as refreshing as it has been, by his account, effective in silencing the critics. "I did it for the money," he announces cheerfully.
| Source: Opinion Journal via Veritaserum.  |