NUANCES

            I started thinking about this when considering translating my books to other languages. While there’s no reason not to give it a try except for the extreme cost, it may be worth it to open your market even more.

NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE

            While it would be great to have your stuff opened up to different languages, I cannot help but think of what might be lost in the translation.

            The better the translator, the better the transfer of your story to a foreign language. However, is it still accurate or just good enuff’ for guv’mint work?

EXAMPLES

            Norwegian author Jo Nesbo writes in Norwegian and relies on translators to change it to English. While I’ve enjoyed his stories immensely, are they really what he wanted to say? Nuances may play a part in that what makes sense to a Norwegian, may not to us. Usually the translation plays out an explanation that makes sense if this ever comes up.

            However, what about from say English to Chinese? Because of culture, there are just certain things that don’t cross over the barrier well. What about say a Navajo translation? Their whole language (nature based is best as I can describe it) is not based on ours and a lot of nuances from English may be off if the translator is not aware. Sometimes even if they are, the cultural differences may be so severe as to not bring forth an accurate translation at all.

            I’m not by any means picking on Navajo translations, I just happen to know a very tiny bit about the language and it’s one that made me think of this in the first place.

BY ALL MEANS!

            If you ever get a chance to have your work translated into another language, and it doesn’t cost you a second mortgage, it may be worth it even if something is lost.

            On the other hand, I sell my books worldwide (well as much as I can get out of Amazon), and they’re all in English because I’m going for that market. In most countries, English books can be a big business without the translations.

SUMMARY

            If you can get away with all English, by all means. I am. However, if you ever decide to translate to something else, keep in mind the ideas may not always look like what you intended.

            Food for thought.

            Happy writing!