Tolkien Translations

[akhtene]

I'm Russian, but I read all three books for the first time in English (anyway,only Hobbit anf the Fellowship had been translated by 1980s). Later I tried to re-read the books in Russian, but I soon gave up. I don't think something is very wrong with translations - by now there are several of them. And I'm not really a connoisser of languages. It's just that a foreign language gives that tinge of something unearthly and 'foreigh'. One's native tongue perhaps makes it too common, brings everything too close to you, just ruins the impression. Maybe even reading in a foreign language has the same effect as learning elvish. I can well understand how Elven-Maiden feels.

And the propper names. When original names are used, they seem out of place, and then there are problems with declension (Lucky English-speakers, you don't have that [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] )And translated names... Translation never seems to render the meaning AND stylistic nuance AND the sounding at once. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Perhaps I'm being over-particular, but I'm happier with my English edition.