Translation of English books to Filipino: what are your thoughts?

[vampiredoll]

Filipino publisher Precious Hearts Romances, famous for publishing romance pocket books, is buying copyrights of best-selling English novels with the hope of translating them into Filipino. Right now, they have published Filipino translations of Twilight, The Hunger Games, and The Vampire Diaries, translated version of 50 Shades of Grey is in the works, and they recently acquired the permission to translate Nicholas Sparks' novels.

What are your thoughts on this matter? Is this beneficial for us? Or will this kill our own literature?

[snowylefae]

No. Let the filipino books stay filipino and the english books as is. I mean do we really need to have Filipino versions of everything? From songs to tv shows and now, books. I just cant..

[vampiredoll]

Yay! Someone replied!

Don't you think that what PHR is doing is delivering these internationally best-selling books to a wider audience? They are the biggest publishing house in this country. Although I have to say that the choices of books that they are translating right now are not very good. What can we expect? Its PHR.

We do need Filipino translations of better books. We don't need Nicholas Sparks translations because PHR has already done that. We need translations of Classics and Award winning books. You have to consider that not everyone is as good in English. 

[ChennieMellark]

I saw a Twilight Tagalog version and I was like "Srsly?? C'mon!"

[vampiredoll]

^haha Takipsilim for almost 200 Php. Everyone's worst nightmare has come to life. This is how the world ends.

[hakyrej_inyourdreams]

I'm not really keen on their plan to translate these books. First, I think that the true essence of the original book is being lost in the translation. My classmate bought Takipsilim ( ) and I skimmed over some of the pages and I don't really think it's that good.

We have our own outstanding writers, so why should we rely on the English books?

[Nikki.]

For me, it's kinda overrated and corny. Parang para sakin, di bagay yung itagalog yung mga english books... Especially now, 50 Shades of Gray in tagalog?? Parang ang awkward naman! =))

[dahilsamansanas.11]

Hindi ko siya type, parang ang baduy talaga. Haha!  Kaya hirap makaintindi yung ibang pinoy ng english dahil lahat nalang tinatagalog. Mga foreign movies tinatagalog na pati ba naman mga sikat na books? 

[candygirl10795]

happy for those who cannot read or who have poor understanding in English but nababaduyan 'cause i'm used to reading such novels in English

[vampiredoll]

We have our own outstanding writers, so why should we rely on the English books?

Yes we do, but we are not reading them. That's the sad thing about Filipinos, we are everyone else's fans but we are never fans of ourselves.

I thank God for people like you who recognize the fact that we have a set of literature of our own.

For me, it's kinda overrated and corny. Parang para sakin, di bagay yung itagalog yung mga english books... Especially now, 50 Shades of Gray in tagalog?? Parang ang awkward naman! =))

Imagine what that will sound like! Anong laban ng Bulgar tabloid?!

Hindi ko siya type, parang ang baduy talaga. Haha!  Kaya hirap makaintindi yung ibang pinoy ng english dahil lahat nalang tinatagalog. Mga foreign movies tinatagalog na pati ba naman mga sikat na books? 

Thing is, we won't be needing English if we are only self-sufficient. Best thing to do is, however cliche'd it would sound, Tangkilikin ang sariling atin so media would not feel the need to translate every go darn thing. Donchathink? 

happy for those who cannot read or who have poor understanding in English but nababaduyan 'cause i'm used to reading such novels in English

Wait, san ka nababaduyan? Sa wika o sa translated? :O

[candygirl10795]

sa translated po

[dahilsamansanas.11]

Thing is, we won't be needing English if we are only self-sufficient. Best thing to do is, however cliche'd it would sound, Tangkilikin ang sariling atin so media would not feel the need to translate every go darn thing. Donchathink? 

Oo nga, tangkilikin ang sariling atin pero kasi pano mo naman tatangkilikin yung sariling atin kung hindi mo naman type yung mga local books? Diba? Ako, may mga libro akong tagalog pero konti lang talaga. Mas madami talaga yung mga foreign books. Pero madami rin tayong mga magagaling na authors, hindi ko lang siguro type yung mga books na local.

Dati napanood ko sa tv yung issue tungkol dito. Sabi ng professor from UP Diliman na may mga salitang english pa rin na nasa book na tinagalog. Ang pangit tuloy ng kinalabasan ng libro kasi parang tag-lish na siya.

[vampiredoll]

Oo nga, tangkilikin ang sariling atin pero kasi pano mo naman tatangkilikin yung sariling atin kung hindi mo naman type yung mga local books? Diba? Ako, may mga libro akong tagalog pero konti lang talaga. Mas madami talaga yung mga foreign books. Pero madami rin tayong mga magagaling na authors, hindi ko lang siguro type yung mga books na local.

Dati napanood ko sa tv yung issue tungkol dito. Sabi ng professor from UP Diliman na may mga salitang english pa rin na nasa book na tinagalog. Ang pangit tuloy ng kinalabasan ng libro kasi parang tag-lish na siya.

Because there is no such thing as Taglish anymore. Taglish now is normal Filipino. I don't know if that made sense. I'll try again, no one speaks perfect, straight Filipino; there'll always be an english word in any normal Filipino discussions. Sucks, right?

Here's another problem:there wouldn't be variety in our own literature if people will not start buying local books. In order for publishers to take a chance and publish more authors-therefore more variety- the reading public should first buy published books.

I think that its good that we are discussing this issue. We are finding the root of the problem and are starting to come out with a solution. This is what we need as a nation, to sit down and actually talk about things. God bless the Republic. Boto mo Patrol mo. Clean as you go. (Its because I'm starting to look like I'm preaching, I'm sorry.)

[aning!]

cheesy.

not to be condescending and all that, but... at least non-english readers can enjoy 'em, right? lol

[J O U I S E :]]]

I agree with you po Ate @vampiredoll. I think it'd be better if they translated Classics instead. Besides, I've observed lately that Fifty Shades isn't that best-selling after all. Perhaps because most of its readers are youngsters and bookstores in our city have already set foot on prohibiting the sales of this book to minors so what I concluded is, maybe, just because majority of its fans are minors and they're not allowed to purchase the said novel, the sales lessened. I know it's a stupid theory but that's what I think.

Anyway, back to the topic, I'd appreciate their translation of books more if it were Classic stories.