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Reading ASOIAF in English(for non-native speakers)


Tremond Snow

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I think language on this forum all in all is more difficult than in GRRM books, due mainly to abbreviations or slang which you won't find in the books.

I strongly recommend watching the tv series in original language ( I have to see them with English subtitles in order to understand).

I saw some episodes dubbed in my original language and it feels real terrible.

I never attempted reading translations of the books but I feel there would be the same problems.

I'm not criticizing the hard work of translators but only strongly suggest to go with the original.

Have fun. And you can of course find a lot of answers here on the forum

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Yep, that's pretty much what I meant. If you just translated it literally, it would look very odd indeed.

The thing is...in Spanish you can translate "Fuck you" (although it wouldn't feel medieval at all), but not "fuck" as a curse.

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Well, even "fuck you" would look completely odd in my language. Nobody ever says that. It's either "go to hell" or "devil take you".

We say "go to arse". There is absolutely no sex-related phrase for this. I'd have to look up how the translator dealt with the pun but I suspect she just dropped it.

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If you have an average english it may be harder, but if you're an advanced english speaker you'll be fine. Only some "old" medieval-like words may trick you, but you can always have a dictionary.



And like Bright Blue Eyes said, could you write your post easily? If so, it may be easier for you.



ps: my native tongue is portuguese.


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why not? "Que te den" and "Joder"

In Spain "joder" doesn't mean the same as "follar" (fuck), but I'm aware in many places of Latin America it means that, to the point that it's been accepted. "Que te follen/Que te den" (fuck you) can be translated well in both Latin America and Spain.

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In Spain "joder" doesn't mean the same as "follar" (fuck), but I'm aware in many places of Latin America it means that, to the point that it's been accepted. "Que te follen/Que te den" (fuck you) can be translated well in both Latin America and Spain.

cervantes mother tongue has the richest pool for bad lenguage :)

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cervantes mother tongue has the richest pool for bad lenguage :)

Yep.

Just to share a fun story, it's really difficult for Spanish people not to look like sex addicts in Argentina. You know there they use the word "coger" (which means "catch", "get something" in English) as "follar" (fuck).

So, I was in Argentina this summer and I asked a bartender if I could "coger la botella" (get the bottle). He understood if I could fuck the bottle. They nearly called the police.

To follow up on the language issue, Ingelheim, your user name always makes me think you'd be German despite knowing you're Spanish - it's a typical name for towns or villages here. An Ingelheim is like 10 km from where I was born and my grandparents got some friends there.

The thing is BBE...I lived in Germany one year when I was in High School, in Ingelheim am Rhein (the historical one, where Charlemagne had his Imperial Palace). It was one hell of a year, so I get the name. Ingelheim really sounds like a fantasy name in Spanish, a really cool one.

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The thing is BBE...I lived in Germany one year when I was in High School, in Ingelheim am Rhein (the historical one, where Charlemagne had his Imperial Palace). It was one hell of a year, so I get the name. Ingelheim really sounds like a fantasy name in Spanish, a really cool one.

That's the very one I mean.

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How do you translate something like

"Fuck you, dwarf."

"That's Shae's job."

Into a language like Japanese or Arabic?

In Spanish you can't translate "fuck" literally as a curse.

why not? "Que te den" and "Joder"

"Joder", as a curse word, is mostly Spanish from Spain, but yes, that could work. "Carajo" o "mierda" could be more accurate when it is a cursing expression. But that phrase above could be:

"Que te cojan, enano"

"Para eso está Shae".

So, I was in Argentina this summer and I asked a bartender if I could "coger la botella" (get the bottle). He understood if I could fuck the bottle. They nearly called the police.

That's one of the "problems" of living in Latin America. We have the same language but every region has their own slang. For example, "pieza", literaly, piece. In Arg. they call "pieza" to places of the house, specially the bedroom. Here, it's a slang for penis. So, when a friend for Argentina was telling me that his pieza was big enough... well...

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Yep.

Just to share a fun story, it's really difficult for Spanish people not to look like sex addicts in Argentina. You know there they use the word "coger" (which means "catch", "get something" in English) as "follar" (fuck).

So, I was in Argentina this summer and I asked a bartender if I could "coger la botella" (get the bottle). He understood if I could fuck the bottle. They nearly called the police.

The thing is BBE...I lived in Germany one year when I was in High School, in Ingelheim am Rhein (the historical one, where Charlemagne had his Imperial Palace). It was one hell of a year, so I get the name. Ingelheim really sounds like a fantasy name in Spanish, a really cool one.

lol, he was playing Smart, we do know how you use coger, spec, if it said with a spanisch accent. we all ve seen torrente.

Im not argentinan, but im close enough to know how they talk. here in uruguay we speak almost like them.

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That's the very one I mean.

Then that's the very one I lived in. It was a really cool place.

"Joder", as a curse word, is mostly Spanish from Spain, but yes, that could work. "Carajo" o "mierda" could be more accurate when it is a cursing expression. But that phrase above could be:

"Que te cojan, enano"

"Para eso está Shae".

That's one of the "problems" of living in Latin America. We have the same language but every region has their own slang. For example, "pieza", literaly, piece. In Arg. they call "pieza" to places of the house, specially the bedroom. Here, it's a slang for penis. So, when a friend for Argentina was telling me that his pieza was big enough... well...

I honestly think the differences between some versions of Spanish is huge. Like really huge. It's sometimes hard to understand each other.

lol, he was playing Smart, we do know how you use coger, spec, if it said with a spanisch accent. we all ve seen torrente.

Im not argentinan, but im close enough to know how they talk. here in uruguay we speak almost like them.

At the end it was mostly my fault. I should have known better :bang:

And actually, I love Argentinian accent. I think the women who speak Spanish with an Argntinian accent are hot as hell.

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Hello everyone,

I want to read the books, but in moment I don't have the access to read in my native language. What do you think? Which level of English is required? I'm wondering whether I can understand the books or not.

I'm especially asking to those who speak English as second language. Thanks in advance. :)

Welcome to the boards! :cheers:

Go for it.

I speak English better than my mother tongue, so I read them in English quite naturally. I didn't look up many words.

Besides, I don't like the translation.

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