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10-22-2004, 09:24 AM
| | |  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.
Quote:
"Hareios Poter Kai he tou Philosophou Lithos," will give struggling students of classical languages something to read besides Aeschylus and Aristotle.
Quote:
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."
Quote:
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.
Quote:
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.  | |
10-22-2004, 10:54 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Crup
Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Grimmauld Place
Posts: 2,214
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I love how Harry Potter is translated into dead languages... it gives the poor language scholars a rest from reading boring ancient texts, and if Caesar or Alexander the Great ever came back from the dead, they'd have something to read.  | 
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10-22-2004, 12:48 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Jobberknoll
Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: London
Posts: 488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Siriusly_in_Love I love how Harry Potter is translated into dead languages... it gives the poor language scholars a rest from reading boring ancient texts, and if Caesar or Alexander the Great ever came back from the dead, they'd have something to read. I think they also do it in latin, which is another dead language. I used to do Latin in my old school but i was useless at it. Any way whats the point of learning latin if they do Harry Potter books in English. I would only learn it if they burned all the english version of the books (which should be a crime) and all that we were left with were the Latin or Greeke versions. But since that wont happen, I dont think I will. | |
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10-22-2004, 04:04 PM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Demiguise
Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mtns of E. TN
Posts: 5,373
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Remus James Lupin (RJ)
Second Year | Gryfflepuff
I think it rocks. I didn't know there was a Latin version maybe I can talk the Latin teacher into assigning it for extra credit. I am going to buy it just for the fun of it if I can locate a copy. I am a third year Latin student here at school. I just started my other foriegn language so I have a couple of terms to come up in speed with that one.
I think it might help teachers intro the older languages in their classes. My friend in TN is using a German version in her high school German class. She says it is fun to know the passage in English then be able to see and understand the German. Helps with learning her vocabulary words too, because she can find the word in HP and make an connection with the German word since she know HP so well.
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10-22-2004, 07:35 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Occamy
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 28,872
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Professor McFarlane
Graduated | IndyEddie
I definately believe that Harry Potter in these "dead" languages will help people studying them, and it would give a break from boring old people yaking about philosophy (sorry if someone actually enjoys it, gives me a headache). I know other people are saying that they would not read other languages as long as they have the English version, but I think It'd be kind of fun to attempt HP in another language, more than once I've seriously considered the Spanish verison. They have Dr. Suess books in Latin (im sure theres others, but I know of the latin). So why not HP? I'm certainly interested in the new languages.
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We'll always be together cuz we're both under the moon | |
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10-22-2004, 08:33 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Crup
Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Grimmauld Place
Posts: 2,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gryffindor prefect I think they also do it in latin, which is another dead language... Any way whats the point of learning latin if they do Harry Potter books in English. Yes, they do also do it in Latin.
I think it's a great idea for them to print it in ancient languages. A lot of peope study Latin and Greek, but can only read ancient texts like The Illiad or Caesar's Commentaries. Reading a book in a foreign language really helps your fluency, so it makes sense to print a book in a language studied by many people. People aren't learning Latin or Greek to read Harry Potter, but they have the books available to them as a form of study.
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10-22-2004, 09:49 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Unicorn
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 34,318
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I had no idea HP was in Latin.
Its a good idea that HP is translated into Greek,schools over there can use it for their litreature books and for reading  | |
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10-22-2004, 10:09 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Bowtruckle
Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Athens, Greece or Aberystwyth, Wales
Posts: 211
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My mother used to teach Ancient Greek. She might like a gift like this.  | |
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10-22-2004, 10:09 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Bundimun
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: in the torture chamber...would you like to join me?
Posts: 39
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i think that's cool! why do they even teach people those languages anyway? no one uses them anymore. oh well.
__________________ I may do foolish things...But at least i do them with enthusiasm!!!  yaya! | |
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10-22-2004, 10:11 PM
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#10 (permalink)
|  Portuguese ModeratorThestral
Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Neverland
Posts: 39,664
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Margaret Jacqueline Atkinson Morris
Fifth Year | Potter’s Princess A+ FangGirl
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siriusly_in_Love I love how Harry Potter is translated into dead languages... it gives the poor language scholars a rest from reading boring ancient texts, and if Caesar or Alexander the Great ever came back from the dead, they'd have something to read. Yeah! Atleast they won't be reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaly bored! They've got HP!
__________________ I gotta go back to the muggle world,
they're gonna try and tell me this wasn't, that none of this happened,
but you know what? It was real. It did happen.
We spent time here. We made friends here. That's a part of us.
Cause Hogwarts is bigger than any of us, of any of it's founders,
and it's going to be around long after we're gone.
Maybe we'll see our kids come here one day.
That's the thing about Hogwarts.
No matter how long you're away from it, there's always a way back. | |
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10-23-2004, 07:23 AM
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#11 (permalink)
| | Skrewt
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: California, USA
Posts: 1,209
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Quote:
Originally Posted by greek_snitch My mother used to teach Ancient Greek. She might like a gift like this.
WOW! thats cool
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10-23-2004, 04:53 PM
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#12 (permalink)
| | Bicorn
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,938
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its cool how its printed in so many languages lol too bad i can only read the english ones ..
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10-24-2004, 09:13 AM
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#13 (permalink)
| | Nogtail
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Behind you...
Posts: 318
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I like it too! When the translate them into different langs!
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10-24-2004, 09:47 PM
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#14 (permalink)
| | Guest |
YAY Hp is so special :p
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11-12-2004, 02:03 AM
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#15 (permalink)
| | Plimpy
Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 1,136
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awesome.. lol I can imagine in a thousand years someone finding a Harry potter book in greek or welsh and having no idea what it says, like the rosetta stone or something.
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