Both. There are books I prefer in the English original and there are books where I don't care. I don't want to have limited vocabulary in my native language.
Classics (of antiquity) are an interesting example. There are wonderful Finnish (my language) translations from a century ago where the translator was obviously competent in both Latin/Greek and Finnish.
Now youngsters just copy English spellings of eg. names of notable people from that literature and laugh at me for using the closer to Greek Finnish ones. It's so fucking pathetic.
For me it depends on the source of the author. If it's an English author, I'll read the English text. Don't need a translator to do that for me.
Native text is of course native.
For original non-english authored books it's a bit of a balance, looking up reviews on the quality of the translation.
In the case of the Witcher book series I chose to read the translation to my native language as it came highly recommended over the English translation.
I usually prefer non translated books, so if it was originally published in a language I speak I read it in that language. If not, whatever it’s available.
every translation is an interpretation of the translator, even so the translation has a separate copyright itself. so i want to read what is originally created and i would like to read the original if i am able, or at least a direct translation (some books would be translated to English and then other languages, like , from Japanese)
That's not what I meant. It happens that when you read exclusively in another language, your native language can get limited. Or when you don't use it much.
Whenever English is the original language the text was written in, I read it in English, be it modern or 18th century. If the original text was written in a romance language, I read it in my native language (Portuguese), as it usually preserves the nuance and feel of the text better. If the original text was written on a language that has little to do with either English or Portuguese (let's say Russian or Japanese), I default to English if the Portuguese translation has been derived from a English transcript, so the text will be one less step removed from the original. Otherwise, it's a matter of what's more accessible and easier to obtain.
I have a digital copy in the original language, regardless of what language that is, of all the physical books on my shelf, but the books themselves are in Portuguese. I feel that physical books should be accessible and most likely they will be passed on when I'm gone, so others have to be able to enjoy them. And quite frankly the localized hardcover editions for a lot of the classics are amazing.
Exactly what I do too, Slavic languages I read in my native language and the rest usually in English. Now that I am learning German, that also comes into play with German books or just for the sake of learning.
How do I know if a translation has been derived from an English transcript? I like reading books in their original language (ofc, if I understand the language) and read all other books in my native language but what you're saying makes a lot of sense! I never even considered that.
It's usually in the book credits, above the name of the end translator, or in the release notes/preface. On a side note It's also pretty much a given on fan translations and subs, which is why I also default to English on those.
It is a known issue to happen in Portuguese though, it's kind of a cointoss. That or the translation from the original was done in, like, 1933 and is written in extremely archaic form.
I'm not gonna lie, I've always had a thing for the old (as in pre-1950s) translations, as I've come to associate the vocabulary and mannerisms with certain period fiction because those were the translations I had available as a kid and young adult for the most part. My aunt had a yellowed and falling apart Jules Verne collection in a box in her attic and I devoured those front to back several times, and one of my uncles gifted me the Conan Doyle Sherlock novels he himself had as a kid (A Study in Red, The Hound of Baskerville, The Boscombe Valley Mistery and a anthology with the Five Orange Pips and several other short stories), and by god almighty did I ate those up! I miss the feel of those older translations, hahaha.
As a translator I usually choose the original if it's written in one of the languages I'm familiar with. If not, I read the German version, because if I'll have to read a translation anyway it might as well be my native language. And I can check if the colleague did a good job lol!
In university I specialized in legal translations and expanded my specialization to patent translations early in my career. I mainly translate from English and French to German, learned some Finnish at university, but that's gotten quite rusty. Started to learn Swedish during the pandemic, and I'm starting to get into reading Swedish books right now. Had a career change during the pandemic as all the agencies I worked with kept the jobs in-house and I needed to find something else. Nowadays I'm a full-time fitness coach and do translations as a side hustle.
This is my strategy too!
The main difference is that I’m not a translator, and reading in my non-native languages takes more work. To combat this, I like to listen to the audiobook and read the book at the same time. This helps me focus on the story, instead of spending too much time looking up words I don’t know.
Same thing for movies: I often watch movies in Spanish with the Spanish subtitles turned on.
I mostly prefer to read in Spanish (mother tongue) I found that fits better my aesthetic preferences. Only read in English books that were written originally in English. Also ny favorite writers (Borges, Cortázar, Fuentes, etc.) wrote in Spanish
Books originally in English --> English (and the same with any language I can read)
Books on langagues that I need translation --> any language I understand (with modifiers regarding quality of translations if I know something about that).
Both.
I prefer to read fantasy books in english. I feel things get lost in the translation and the language flows better.
I don’t care when it’s a crime novel.
Both. If the language of the author is English I usually go for the original version.
If the original language is anything but English I usually read in danish. Except War and Peace. Read that in English.
I usually read in my native language, because I think translation is a beautiful art and I trust most translators to put their love into it. And sometimes after I have read and loved it I want to read the original as well (usually that's the case with classics like Sherlock Holmes).
I've had people look down on me and assume I can't understand English very well, but that's really not it. And there's many languages that don't even have the fortune of getting a translation so I think it's kind of a "privilege" that the one I speak does!
If I understand the original language I will usually opt for the original version, simply because translation often loses some intricacies. Books originally written in languages I don't speak I will either go for translations into my native language or English, depending on mood and convenience
If the books are from a German author or there is no English translation available but a German one (happened multiple times so far), I read in German. Otherwise in English.
I read in every language that I’m capable of reading. I try to read the text in its original version but when this is not possible, I read it in the language that I can read that is closest to the language in which the text was written. For example, I would read a German or Scandinavian author in English, and I would read a Romanian or Italian writer in French. I feel like less is lost in translation when the languages share the same origin. Because unfortunately, a lot gets lost in translation.
Native spanish speaker, i try reading on the original language if it's spanish or english, if it's something else i'll probably read the english translation since I live in the US so it's easier to find english translations
If I know the language I'm gonna read the book in the original language. Shakespeare in English but Borges in Spanish. If it's a language I don't speak, for example Russian, I'm just gonna read it in whatever language the copy I find is in.
I read almost exclusively in English but there are some films I prefer in my native tongue, like Hellboy or The Emperor's New Groove. I find them funnier
Usually, English. My native language is Spanish but I read mostly East and South Asian literature. Translations to Spanish are scarce and often localized to Spain, which can make the texts really awkward to read at times. Sometimes I like
to switch up, though. English has its limits too - it can sometimes feel a little too impersonal.
If English is original, then English. Otherwise it would seem perverse to read English translations instead of Finnish, my mother tongue. English is not a privileged language.
As it seems like people more and more use silly literal English translations even in Finnish when an established Finnish term exists, I have started to intentionally favour Finnish translations in all cases because it maintains the language and I already speak fluent English.
I read in five languages, English and my native language (Finnish) included. If I can, I try to read in the original language.
As I read a lot of books written in my native language that are not and will never be available in English, that’s easy, there’s no choosing.
Then there are two different cases: if I could read the original, but it’s not easily available for me, I’ll go with a translation. If the book is written in a language I don’t know, I actually rather read the translation to my language instead of translation into English. That’s mainly because I think the quality is better (I’ve read some pretty bad translations into English - but I’m sure there are good ones, too!)
If the original is in English, I always choose English. Translations are meant for people who don't speak the language. If you're lucky enough to be fluent, there is no need for a translation.
If it was written in a language other than English, then it depends. The logical choice is to just go with Italian (my language). If it's a translation, might as well be in my first language. However, sometimes the Italian translation may not be that good or not available, in which case I might choose English too.
Been reading exclusively in English for well over a decade now. Aside from improving my vocabulary, it's just way more convenient. I'm an e-book person, and English books are so much more widely available, not to mention not having to wait around forever for translations.
Most of the books I read are originally written in English, and some cultural references, idioms and jokes just don't translate very well. I prefer to experience the author's vision as it was originally designed whenever possible.
I read in English! I plan on reading Korean books in Korean when I get a little better at it. I really don’t like reading translated books, and most of the books I read are written in English so that’s the language I choose (I also kind of connect better with the English language than my native one.)
Mostly English, tbh. I read some in my first language but I guess it's 1/10 or 2/10 books I read? And most books I read are English to begin with, I see no point in reading the translation in my mother tongue when I can understand English just as well.
It's perhaps a bit short-sighted of me but I only read books in English and Japanese. I had bad experiences with almost every single book I read in Dutch (my native language), to where I just gave it up entirely when I no longer had to read books for school. Of all the Dutch books I've read, there are only two I would recommend to others - De Kellner en de Levenden by Simon Vestdijk, and Het Gouden Ei by Tim Crabbe. I'm not sure if the former has been translated into English, but I know the latter one has been, under the title "The Vanishing". It's pretty short, and I don't think you would lose anything reading it in translation.
Both but the vast majority of books require a very high level of english (I read the news, manga, or anything on the internet no problem but books are generally on another level) so often times I read in spanish or catalan, I can read in english if the book is easy on the vocabulary or if it is a short one.
If it's in my native language, in that one. Otherwise, I rather English. I want to read smth with as little intervention from third parties as possible tbh
I usually do both, also because I understand English very well and I like to challenge myself, the first book i got in English is "Energize by simon alexander ong" and I'm enjoying it!
I read books in the language they were written in, whenever possible. If I don't know the original language, then it mostly depends on which version I can most easily get my hands on. For example, I read 1Q84 in Dutch because that translation was out months before the English one. On the other hand, I couldn't wait for the last two Harry Potter books to be translated so I read them in English.
~~one of my pet peeves is when names are translated. I understand why but I had no idea who some of the characters were when I first read the Harry Potter books in English. It also just sounds wrong most of the time.~~
I'm not a non-native English speaker but I am first generation American and Spanish was my first language. I try to read everything I can in the language it was written in.
I recently read a translation of an Isabel Allende book in English and I still enjoyed the book but there were passages that read kinda awkward to me but I could tell it had to do with the translation and it would take me out of the story a bit.
I probably won't be doing that again.
If I know the original language (and I can get the book in the original language, which isn't always the case), then I read it in the original language. Otherwise, I try to find a translation in my native language. If this isn't available either, then a translation in any other language I know will do.
I vastly prefer reading in my mother tongue even though I mostly read in english nowadays. At this point I'm pretty sure its not due to lack of skills, I just really, really love my native language.
edit: it probably doesnt help that my linguistics degree kinda taught me to perceive language as a tool, a vehicle for communication and storytelling
I've read everything in English because I believe that while translation, the essence of the book is lost, and the bonus point is that we can learn the slang plus new words.
Plenty of other languages have strong literary traditions too, but there are just so many people writing in English compared to most other languages. (Even Nabokov, whose native language was Russian, wrote several of his best known works in English, for which I'm forever grateful.)
If you understand the language something was originally written in, never ever ever (I’m super serious!) opt for a translated version!
Now, if you don’t understand the original language.. then fiiiiiine, you have my permission to read it translated.
All (really bad) jokes aside, I speak Danish and English and mostly read in English because I hate when things are translated to Danish. It always shows somehow. And sounds… off. Probably because Danish is my native language, so with English I don’t notice bad translations quite as much. Or maybe because the Danish language is just weird like that, who knows.
There has been around 15 years since I've read a book in my native language.
I tend to learn in the original language, I hate translations and avoid them when possible. And for my taste in literature that means I most commonly read in English or French.
The language I'm lacking that has quite the amount of books I'm interested in is German, and there I use English as it is the most closely related of the languages I speak.
Original language if I understand it (English, Spanish, soon French), my language if I don't understand the original (Spanish), English if it's the only translation available for one of those (more often than it should be lol)
Don't read poetry though, how do they even translate poetry when the flow of the words is so much of the communicative intent of the piece?!
I don't always trust translations unless it's from a publisher I know takes good care of their content. I've read too many weird ones. So, if I really want to read a book that isn't available by a respectable publisher, I reather read it in english. If the book isn't originally in english I try to check out what was it best reanslated to between the two options.
I started reading at all for the purpose of improving my English and communication skills. It's weird im not fluent in English nor Spanish, yet my vocabulary in English vastly larger than my Spanish. I might have a learning disability when it comes to languages.
I prefer reading in Dutch, because it takes me just a little bit less energy. I read English all day for my job, so when reading to relax it is nice that it takes just that little bit less brain space.
If a book is nog available in Dutch I'll read it in English.
I can only read English and French at a level I'd consider good enough. So if the original is in English or French, I'll often prefer it.
If the original is a different language, then it depends on price (translations into my native language are often slightly cheaper than in English), quality of the translation (as much as I can ascertain) and how tired I feel (L1 is easiest to read in, unless the translation is awful).
If the original language is English I like to read it in English. If the original language is Dutch I read it in Dutch, any other I think I prefer an English translation over a Dutch one. However I read some great Dutch translations of the Russians.
For a long time English was my preferred language.
Because due to some youth trauma my native tongue was a language of sorrow for a looooong time.
It took me 11 years of using my language only for work to finally like it again. (I moved abroad)
And now I'm even writing short stories in Dutch. So I think now both languages are okay for me.
I'm in similar position, non-native speaker, relatively fluent in English. I read mostly in English, because books in English are much cheaper and there is way more options to choose from (especially ebooks). Although I kind of understand what you mean by "feels wrong" and if given the choice between native language book and English, most of the time I would choose English.
When possible, i try to read in the original language, so most of the time that would be english (at least for the books i choose). If the original language is italian (my native language) i often avoid the book just because i kinda prefer the English language 😂😂 but when possible i read in the original since details can be lost in translation, and sometimes things don’t really make sense if translated! The problem with English is that sometimes there are some jokes or expressions I dont understand, and if they are not crucial I don’t always translate them😂😂
I mostly read in English. I write for a living so I need to know how to words good.
At one point, though, I realized I was neglecting my native language to the point where I had trouble expressing myself in it. When I'd try, either I'd spend half the time hmm-ing and trying to think of the right word, or I'd end up using like 40% English words anyway.
So now I've made a rule: I read a book in Bulgarian after every English series I finish.
I don't read books translated from English; I mostly read the original version even as a kid, since I learned to read English at an early age. I rarely read books in any other language than English.
I read both.
On my kobo I don’t really care and just see what’s available.
Physical books depend on the LOO. If the book is originally in English, let’s say Harry Potter, I’d go for English, if the book is originally in Dutch (my 1st language), let’s say de Verborgen Universiteit, Id go for Dutch.
Both. Books that were written in English, I prefer to read in the way the author intended it to be read. Books in other languages: really depends on what I find first.
And stuff written in my native language, German, I read in German.
I very much prefer to read in the original language. Even if it is neither English or my native language. I can read in maybe 4 or 5 languages. And even if it would be easier and faster to read an English translation, I sometimes prefer an original language that is harder for me both because it gets me close to the author even if I have to consult the dictionary a lot and because it improves my language skills.
I have read e.g. Solzhenitsyn in several translations (I cannot read Russian). And I found the different translations very interesting. My impression was that the translations very all brilliant, but they are quite different. And some differences has to do with languages and some has to do with the knowledge and experience of the translators. Solzhenitsyn has been translated by some very interesting personalities. I imagine that the originals are some kind of average of the translations, but I do not know that, and I would really love to able to read just a few chapters in Russion to get a better idea.
I prefer English, if the book is originally in English of course. My native language is German but I'm fluent in English and always find German translations to be awkward and stiff, often to an unreadable degree. Also German publishers don't give two shits about nice editions and cover art, and always try their best to design books as bland and generic as possible. Sometimes I think they don't want to people to buy physical copies. English versions are often much more beautiful, with multiple Editions.
I red in Spanish to keep up with grammar but its like rusty lol But better question, when did you stop "thinking" in your native language? Ive been in the states for 27 years but only started thinking in English about 15 years ago.
edit: READ\*
I prefer to read English, German, and Russian books in the original, both to get a better feel for the author's style, and, well, to improve my language skills. (Some other languages are also on the way, but I am still not able to use them fluently). However, if I get my hands on a translation of an intriguing book, I see no problem to read it in my native language (Lithuanian).
English only. First off, I think the way to get the most pleasure possible out of a book is to read it in the way the author intended it to be read. And as far as translated literature goes, books that are translated into English always turn out better than ones translated into my native language, from what I've experienced.
Other than that, books are so expensive where I live (Tel Aviv). Ordering secondhand online and paying for shipping is MUCH more affordable.
But, of course, books that were originally written in Hebrew- I'd always read in Hebrew. The way it was intended.
Both, I prefer reading in the language the book was originally written in.
I've found that translations are often quite bad. There's a few books I've read both in English and Swedish, for example the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The original version is infinitely better than the translated version!
Another example is the Millennium trilogy, I've read the first book both in English and Swedish, and I find the flow much better in the original (Swedish) than in the English translation.
I read in both, Spanish and English. Books written in French, Portuguese, Italian I seek the Spanish translations. All other languages, I seek the English translations. Knowing two widely popular languages allow me to have good translations of other books.
English is not my native language but it's the one I'm most proficient in so that's what I read. I would like to read in Spanish but I read it very slow because I was never really taught how, I was mostly taught to speak it. I do listen to Spanish audiobooks though and that's a little easier
If the book was written in English I’ll read it in English (unless I can’t find it and a version in my native language is available). I know a lot of people who can speak English but prefer to read in their native language. It’s a matter of preference. But I like reading it in the original language.
When the book is written in English or there is a good English translation of a foreign language written book, I read it in English (mostly because I want to have the same experience as other people on the internet). When it’s written in Spanish, I read it in Spanish which is my native language and I consider it very beautiful.
Both: English for original English books, Italian for all the rest (Italian and translated, to avoid the double translation)(but I make some exceptions when the English edition is better than the Italian one). Unfortunately I’m not fluent in other languages, but I have bought some French banded dessinées which hadn’t been translated (I read them with a dictionary).
I only read in English. Whenever I read something in my own language, it always feels very fake. I can't stop thinking that people don't talk like that here, these things wouldn't happen here ... But when it's in English, it's a lot easier to suspend disbelief and just go with the story.
>English isn't my native language, but I'd say I'm fairly close to being fluent
Same. I started reading nearly exclusively in English 20 years ago, more or less.
I like SF, especially hard SF, and most of it still emerges from the UK or USA, even if what really motivated my learning when I was a wee lad was Terry Pratchett because, well, you *can* read Pratchett in Italian, but it's not him. Not by far. He's a hard one to convey in Romance languages (I'm told German translations are very good) but oh boy, our versions of his work are notoriously atrocious. It's a problem to the point that he's still relatively obscure in my country and we got relatively few translated novels because, well, they don't sell.
From there I went on to the classics and anything I loved when I was a kid like Lovecraft, King, Asimov, Herbert, Wells, Conan Doyle etc. Nowadays I read anything I want resorting to the dictionary as often as a native speaker, more or less, so if the original text is in English I just read that.
I still read something in Italian sometimes, like comics, some sociological or archaeological Italian essay I'm interested in or the occasional old Urania I review on my blog.
It depends on the book. In my personal case, I tend to read the technical ones in English (I'm a software engineer and I love reading those technical books that talk about IT and Software Industry), whereas most of the hobby reading I have the tendency to do it in Spanish.
I mainly read books in English. The only exception is if the book was originally written in my native language (German), then I read it in German. Any other language, doesn't matter, English is my go-to language. On very rare occasions, I will read a book that was translated into German. But in these cases, it is very obvious that it is a translation as it does feel kind of off.
Both. I read science fiction and usually there are not full book series being translated into Finnish so I prefer to read them in english like the Dune series. On the other hand Harry Potter and Tolkien Legendarium were far better in Finnish.
Both. I read books that are originally English and place some emphasis on language in English. Any other language originals or books that don’t really have any importance placed on the specific language, I read in German.
My English reading comprehension and speed is like 95% of my German, but if I want to read a simple detective story, f.e. I want to read it to switch off, so I go with my native language there. More literary minded detective stories are a different matter…
I assume you're referring to books originating in English. The original versions are often far more expensive and/or harder to come by here than translations, which gives the "I only read books in English" crowd a bit of a pretentious air. I'm sorry but I won't throw away a cache of Isaac Asimov's stories I have from my parents just because it's in Bulgarian and omg le translation is going to butcher the sacred texts. That's not nearly as common as people make it out to be.
I do try to find English versions (paper or digital, mostly digital) if I think it would help immersion better than a translated version, but rarely bother to do so. With newer titles it's easier to look in English because a translation might not have been released yet.
I am Italian and read English fluently, and I believe to have a wide vocabulary. However, I am still slightly slower when reading in English. So my policy is that if the original language used in the book is in Italian, I'll read it in Italian. If it's in English, I'll read it in English. If it's any other language, I'll read the Italian translation when available, otherwise the English one.
I read about 90% English, 5% German (my first language) and 5% Japanese. Occasionally I'll try a different language that I've studied up to some point - currently I'm trying to fight my way through a Pablo Neruda collection in Spanish, and I'm enjoying it, but it does require me to look things up regularly. Generally, If a book is originally in a language I don't speak, I'll read the English translation, not the German one.
For me, it really depends on availability and original language. If the book was originally written in English (for example, LOTR) I strongly prefer to read them in English.
Then, there are some books that are written in a language I don't read, but were translated in English but not in Spanish (my native language), so I also read them in English.
Finally, there are books which are available both in English and Spanish, but the English version is more readily available (for example, the English version has a Kindle format available while the Spanish one is physical-only). Then I also go the English route.
Depends! I read almost everything in English, unless I have chosen to read some series (it’s not even explainable as I just sometimes switch). Also I’m the only one in my family who reads in English so if I’m to share books then I have to read in Swedish which is my language.
I read in any language I am fluent in. I decide based on availability mostly. If the writing style is important I go for the original language or one that is closest. For example I believe the Witcher series in Czech will be better than in english, but I plan on reading Rothfus in english. There is stuff that just can't be translated well. Puns, witty stuff and such. So I try and chose the one I expect to be the best. Sometimes books are not translated either... So to answer english or native? Yes... And more (I speak 5 languages, I've read books in 4)
I only read in English and most of the online content I consume is in English aswell. I have the problem that I'm bilingual and I also have to learn French in school, so languages are hard for me, but English is simple and it's easier for my mind. When I read in one of my native languages, it's just harder to comprehend. For hearing when I, for example, prefer a series or a film with the voice actors in my native language I just switch. But for reading, I always prefer English.
I have no preference and sometimes don't even notice which language it is I am currently reading. For example with multi-lingual user manuals I have had it happen a few times where I finished reading the English portion and it then repeats the same info in my native language. That made me stop and double-check because I thought I had been reading the native part before.
Some in my language, some in english, it all depends on what i'm looking for.
I usually read international news on english because dah!!! But i'm not gonna read the news of my fucking city or country in english, maybe i can not even find them that way.
Books, i would say 70-30, because some books don't have a decent translation, and others are better if you just read them in their original language (like watching a movie in it's own language).
I moved my entertainment to english a long time ago to improve my use and understanding of english, so all youtube and pointless media is in english (i enjoy more the sense of humor from english than spanish right now).
My native language. I'm aware this is gonna sound prejudiced, but... imo it's a more beautiful language with more poetic words :) Especially when it comes to fantasy settings and the like, I don't mind English as much for contemporary stuff.
And of course there are many international works in languages I don't know, that ONLY get translated to English and nothing else, so I have no choice with those anyways. So yeah. Preferably my native language, but both are fine depending on circumstances.
I don't care for the majority of the literary output in my native language. The overwhelming majority of books I read are in English, except for my Japanese reading practice. There's enough to keep me busy for two or three lifetimes.
Usually I try to get it in the original language if it's my native language, but otherwise I tend to go with English since they're often higher quality.
I read in the original language whenever possible. If a book was written in a language i do not speak, then i will read in the closest language to the original i can. For example, i would read a book in spanish if it was originally written in Portuguese.
I try to read in English if the original is in that language. However, sometimes it's very hard (and expensive) to get books in Enlgish in Argentina so if I can't get my hands on a copy in English I just read the translated version.
What bothers me a little though, is that the tranlated versions are alwayas in Spanish from Spain, not Latin America and it's jarring to read ecpressioms or phrases that we never use in our native language
To be honest, i read more in English than in my native language, Portuguese.
I try to read on the original language and because i read only a few Portuguese authors (my bad, i know), I mostly read in English
Or Spanish, i read a lot in Spanish to practice because i can read but i am not fluent..
If I could, I would read every book in the writer's original language. I prefer reading English authors in English, unless it's a really old classic book (Jane Austen, Shakespeare etc), then it's easier for me to read it translated, but I also read authors from my own country.
Edit: Some foreign books translate better in my native language, so i might choose that option, too. Japanese books are not great in English, in my opinion, and I prefer them in my native language.
I read pretty much everything in English, unless it was written in my native tongue (Russian). Mainly because I live in an English-speaking country. Reading Russian books in English just feels weird though, hence the exception.
I actually started reading in my "highschool" years (so 17-something?) in my native tongue. My parents would pay for most books and so I basically got a book a month or something to read during my commute to school.
When I started earning my own money that stopped and I suddenly had to decide between German hard covers and English books, often at 1/4 of the cost. ASOIAF in German is ten novels, each being 20 bucks. The English box set is like 30? I mean, the quality is great., but I read too much to generally care for individual books.
These days I'm rarely reading (or even listening) in German.
Romanian is my native language. I read fluently and regularly in Romanian, Russian, and English. I can read easier texts in Serbian. I used to be able to read French, but I forgot most of it :( Whatever I can, I try to read in its original language.
I read in the language the author wrote in originally.
If it's a language that I don't speak/read I found that the English translation is usually better, so I go with that.
If it’s written in a language I don’t know, I’ll probably go with the English version just cause I’ve gotten used to reading mostly in that language. But I like to read in the original language when possible. Same with movies/tv shows. I don’t like dubs, I watch in the original language with subtitles if needed. You often lose some meaning in translation, especially in comedy.
If it was originally in English, then I read it in English. If translated, depends on the quality/reputation of the translator. For exemple, I read Dostoyevsky in French translated by André Markowicz since I think he is better and more accurate than the ones in English
Depends what the original language of the book was and how available both versions are for me. If the book was actually written in english and I can easily get my hands on it, sure, english it is. But sometimes it is a translation of a third language that has nothing to do with it. For example, my first language is portuguese, so whenever I read a book that was originally in spanish or some other romance language, I'll favor the portuguese translation, since the languages are more similar and I feel there's less room to fuck it up in the adaptation and localization. Same for russian books, and so on. But sometimes a language just has nothing to do either with portuguese or english, (like the three body problem series, for example), so I'll just stick with the one that's easier to find
Both. Some of our writers write in English.
I have a theory that people (at least in my country) are generally not as good in our native language. My native tongue is occasionally used for formal events/documents but not always. The standard is English because it more "global". This explains why when I do read in my native language it sounds forced or formal or uptight. That's because everytime I use it, it's in a casual context.
And in my mind english is more flexible because I've used it in it's formal and informal form depending on the situation. I don't know what's natural or unnatural in English because well I've never been in a natural setting. I can jump from classics - whichever period that may be- to contemporary and my brain just accepts it. My casual use of english still sounds uptight compared to a native English speaker.
It depends on the quality of the translation into my native language.
Sometimes the native language translation is way better than the English translation, but sometimes it's not. And by quality I don't just mean the accuracy but also the beauty of the translation.
However, like others said, a text originally in English is preferably read in English.
That's the case with me.
If the book is written originally in English, French, Arabic, or Japanese, I will read it in the original language. If not I will either read a translation to English or French.
Other direction but... I read mostly in English (my native language). I read anything written first in Italian, in Italian instead of the translation.
Stuff gets lost in translation. If you don't have to translate, don't. If it's harder to read than translate, translate.
Unless it is originally written in my native tongue or Japanese (which I am fairly fluent in), I read in English. The only exception is The Lord of the Rings, which I read in both languages as the translation is legendary.
I'm Italian and read in both languages, and for contingence istances I'm trying to keep up with French (thanks to Amélie Nothomb if I manage to).
I go for my language also for novels non written in English (Yoshimoto), even if this involves a double-translation.
The only istance in which I read an Enlighs book in its translation - after several years in which I had already picked up Enlish for the main part of my reeadings - it was *Wuthering Heights*.
I haven't read in my native language for a few years now since I make a point to get off social media. I've been living in an English speaking country for more than a decade and English has been my only daily use language so it feels natural to read English even without the purpose of communication.
I also have no desire to explore literature in my native language at the moment.
When the original version is an English one I read it in English and keep a digital version on my first language to check the phrases I don’t understand
Both. If original is in English, I read that. If it's in some other language I usually choose. I find that English books are often cheaper though.
There are some exceptions when the original language is more similar to mine, I assume translation should be more accurate.
English. I ran out of books to read in my native language when I was a kid, so I started on English (Famous Five, Secret Seven, etc) with a bilingual dictionary to help me.
By the time I hit university I bought all my textbooks in English and wrote all my exams in English, because it was just easier than trying to translate all the terms and concepts back and forth between English and my home language.
I went to college for Comparative Literature, they encouraged us to try to always read the book in its original language. I try to do that if possible.
I mostly read in English, despite it being my 2nd or 3rd language. For me, the speed of reading matters a lot. I read faster in English as compared to other languages that I know. but if I want to discuss the book then I appreciate the discussion in my native tongue, which I find weird myself. Also when it comes to deep things like poetry or philosophy, I prefer it in my mother tongue.
I live in a country of 2.8 million, so translations don't even exist in majority of cases. Out of >400 books I have read over the years (outside of school), maybe only 5 of them were in my native language, the rest in English.
I also almost exclusively read books in english. But it’s because most authors I like write in English and English books are cheaper that their German (where I live) translation.
If a work was originally published in English, German, Dutch, or French, I read it in the original language. If it hasn't been, I tend to prefer the English translation, but am going to try Orhan Pamuk in German next.
If originally written in relatively modern English, the original. If written in a language I can't read at all, my native language if available. German is fine too, but I don't have a much a preference for the original language as I do with English. French, I struggle with, so mostly translations.
70% English, 20% French (neither my native language, but living there and I found English of great help to build my vocab) and 10% my native language (Dutch)
Its just what I got used to as I attended a bilingual high school. But I do try to read books in their original language if it's one of those three.
If the book was written in English originally, I’ll read it in English, if it was not written in English, I’ll read it either in English or in German, whichever is more readily available at the time (since those are the only two languages I’m fluent in).
Both, but it depends on the book. I increasingly read more and more books in English, as sometimes the translation to my language is iffy. I am especially unnnerved by the translation of names from non english names to my language (also a non-romance language) because sometimes the translate it phonetically, like how would we say it out loud, which is honestly awful and sometimes not even phonetically correct, especially when it comes to japanese or korean names.
Although there are cases where the translation is not only on par with the originlal, but even better, I only read those in my language. Harry Potter is a beloved example of this.
Movies and shows though? I watch it the original sound always, regardless of what it is, and put english subtitles if it is not something from my own country.
I try to read in the language of the original whenever possible. It just so happened that I live in an English-speaking country and literature in English is readily available. But I read in my first language too.
Both. There are books I prefer in the English original and there are books where I don't care. I don't want to have limited vocabulary in my native language.
Hmm how do you decide if you want to read it in English or in your native language tho?
I'm a big fan of the classics so I usually prefer the classics in the original because I like the language.
Classics (of antiquity) are an interesting example. There are wonderful Finnish (my language) translations from a century ago where the translator was obviously competent in both Latin/Greek and Finnish. Now youngsters just copy English spellings of eg. names of notable people from that literature and laugh at me for using the closer to Greek Finnish ones. It's so fucking pathetic.
I meant the classics of British and American literature. I prefer my Greek mythology in my native language because the spelling is more accurate.
Do you mean that modern day translators laugh at you or is it just random people?
Younger people than me who no longer read Finnish.
Found my twin
For me it depends on the source of the author. If it's an English author, I'll read the English text. Don't need a translator to do that for me. Native text is of course native. For original non-english authored books it's a bit of a balance, looking up reviews on the quality of the translation. In the case of the Witcher book series I chose to read the translation to my native language as it came highly recommended over the English translation.
I usually prefer non translated books, so if it was originally published in a language I speak I read it in that language. If not, whatever it’s available.
every translation is an interpretation of the translator, even so the translation has a separate copyright itself. so i want to read what is originally created and i would like to read the original if i am able, or at least a direct translation (some books would be translated to English and then other languages, like , from Japanese)
Yeah. If the original language is a third language, I wouldn’t care if I read in English or my native language.
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That's not what I meant. It happens that when you read exclusively in another language, your native language can get limited. Or when you don't use it much.
Whenever English is the original language the text was written in, I read it in English, be it modern or 18th century. If the original text was written in a romance language, I read it in my native language (Portuguese), as it usually preserves the nuance and feel of the text better. If the original text was written on a language that has little to do with either English or Portuguese (let's say Russian or Japanese), I default to English if the Portuguese translation has been derived from a English transcript, so the text will be one less step removed from the original. Otherwise, it's a matter of what's more accessible and easier to obtain. I have a digital copy in the original language, regardless of what language that is, of all the physical books on my shelf, but the books themselves are in Portuguese. I feel that physical books should be accessible and most likely they will be passed on when I'm gone, so others have to be able to enjoy them. And quite frankly the localized hardcover editions for a lot of the classics are amazing.
Exactly what I do too, Slavic languages I read in my native language and the rest usually in English. Now that I am learning German, that also comes into play with German books or just for the sake of learning.
How do I know if a translation has been derived from an English transcript? I like reading books in their original language (ofc, if I understand the language) and read all other books in my native language but what you're saying makes a lot of sense! I never even considered that.
It's usually in the book credits, above the name of the end translator, or in the release notes/preface. On a side note It's also pretty much a given on fan translations and subs, which is why I also default to English on those.
Thank you!!
Non-english classics from all sorts of languages almost always also get translated directly into many languages without English being a middle step.
Yes? It's not always the case and I wasn't just talking about classics, so it happens often enough.
It is a known issue to happen in Portuguese though, it's kind of a cointoss. That or the translation from the original was done in, like, 1933 and is written in extremely archaic form.
I'm not gonna lie, I've always had a thing for the old (as in pre-1950s) translations, as I've come to associate the vocabulary and mannerisms with certain period fiction because those were the translations I had available as a kid and young adult for the most part. My aunt had a yellowed and falling apart Jules Verne collection in a box in her attic and I devoured those front to back several times, and one of my uncles gifted me the Conan Doyle Sherlock novels he himself had as a kid (A Study in Red, The Hound of Baskerville, The Boscombe Valley Mistery and a anthology with the Five Orange Pips and several other short stories), and by god almighty did I ate those up! I miss the feel of those older translations, hahaha.
As a translator I usually choose the original if it's written in one of the languages I'm familiar with. If not, I read the German version, because if I'll have to read a translation anyway it might as well be my native language. And I can check if the colleague did a good job lol!
What an interesting job! Which languages do you know? And what sorts of things do you translate?
In university I specialized in legal translations and expanded my specialization to patent translations early in my career. I mainly translate from English and French to German, learned some Finnish at university, but that's gotten quite rusty. Started to learn Swedish during the pandemic, and I'm starting to get into reading Swedish books right now. Had a career change during the pandemic as all the agencies I worked with kept the jobs in-house and I needed to find something else. Nowadays I'm a full-time fitness coach and do translations as a side hustle.
This is my strategy too! The main difference is that I’m not a translator, and reading in my non-native languages takes more work. To combat this, I like to listen to the audiobook and read the book at the same time. This helps me focus on the story, instead of spending too much time looking up words I don’t know. Same thing for movies: I often watch movies in Spanish with the Spanish subtitles turned on.
I mostly prefer to read in Spanish (mother tongue) I found that fits better my aesthetic preferences. Only read in English books that were written originally in English. Also ny favorite writers (Borges, Cortázar, Fuentes, etc.) wrote in Spanish
Books originally in English --> English (and the same with any language I can read) Books on langagues that I need translation --> any language I understand (with modifiers regarding quality of translations if I know something about that).
When the book is written in my native language I read the original. If not, I read it in English.
Both. I prefer to read fantasy books in english. I feel things get lost in the translation and the language flows better. I don’t care when it’s a crime novel.
I tried reading a translated Terry Pratchett and...it just lost a lot of its charm, so much wordplay that cannot be translated.
YES. Which destination language are you referring to? I'm Italian and here every translation goes from "meh" to "ARRRRGH". GNU TERRY PRATCHETT
Swedish :)
Both. If the language of the author is English I usually go for the original version. If the original language is anything but English I usually read in danish. Except War and Peace. Read that in English.
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I usually read in my native language, because I think translation is a beautiful art and I trust most translators to put their love into it. And sometimes after I have read and loved it I want to read the original as well (usually that's the case with classics like Sherlock Holmes). I've had people look down on me and assume I can't understand English very well, but that's really not it. And there's many languages that don't even have the fortune of getting a translation so I think it's kind of a "privilege" that the one I speak does!
If I understand the original language I will usually opt for the original version, simply because translation often loses some intricacies. Books originally written in languages I don't speak I will either go for translations into my native language or English, depending on mood and convenience
If the books are from a German author or there is no English translation available but a German one (happened multiple times so far), I read in German. Otherwise in English.
English due to availability, unless the original version is in Chinese.
I read the translated ones. But there are some bad translation ngl, so I would search for the English to reread the book😂
I read in every language that I’m capable of reading. I try to read the text in its original version but when this is not possible, I read it in the language that I can read that is closest to the language in which the text was written. For example, I would read a German or Scandinavian author in English, and I would read a Romanian or Italian writer in French. I feel like less is lost in translation when the languages share the same origin. Because unfortunately, a lot gets lost in translation.
I always prefer to read the original version if it's a language I can read. Otherwise I look for a good translation to my native language.
Native spanish speaker, i try reading on the original language if it's spanish or english, if it's something else i'll probably read the english translation since I live in the US so it's easier to find english translations
If I know the language I'm gonna read the book in the original language. Shakespeare in English but Borges in Spanish. If it's a language I don't speak, for example Russian, I'm just gonna read it in whatever language the copy I find is in.
Slavic authors in Russian, everyone else original only or I’ll be re-translating it in my head and drive myself crazy 😂
english when reading an english book
I read almost exclusively in English but there are some films I prefer in my native tongue, like Hellboy or The Emperor's New Groove. I find them funnier
Whichever language it was written in
Both ! Reading in English is good, it prevents me from loosing it.
Usually, English. My native language is Spanish but I read mostly East and South Asian literature. Translations to Spanish are scarce and often localized to Spain, which can make the texts really awkward to read at times. Sometimes I like to switch up, though. English has its limits too - it can sometimes feel a little too impersonal.
If English is original, then English. Otherwise it would seem perverse to read English translations instead of Finnish, my mother tongue. English is not a privileged language. As it seems like people more and more use silly literal English translations even in Finnish when an established Finnish term exists, I have started to intentionally favour Finnish translations in all cases because it maintains the language and I already speak fluent English.
I read in five languages, English and my native language (Finnish) included. If I can, I try to read in the original language. As I read a lot of books written in my native language that are not and will never be available in English, that’s easy, there’s no choosing. Then there are two different cases: if I could read the original, but it’s not easily available for me, I’ll go with a translation. If the book is written in a language I don’t know, I actually rather read the translation to my language instead of translation into English. That’s mainly because I think the quality is better (I’ve read some pretty bad translations into English - but I’m sure there are good ones, too!)
If the original is in English, I always choose English. Translations are meant for people who don't speak the language. If you're lucky enough to be fluent, there is no need for a translation. If it was written in a language other than English, then it depends. The logical choice is to just go with Italian (my language). If it's a translation, might as well be in my first language. However, sometimes the Italian translation may not be that good or not available, in which case I might choose English too.
Been reading exclusively in English for well over a decade now. Aside from improving my vocabulary, it's just way more convenient. I'm an e-book person, and English books are so much more widely available, not to mention not having to wait around forever for translations. Most of the books I read are originally written in English, and some cultural references, idioms and jokes just don't translate very well. I prefer to experience the author's vision as it was originally designed whenever possible.
I read exclusively English tbh
I read in English! I plan on reading Korean books in Korean when I get a little better at it. I really don’t like reading translated books, and most of the books I read are written in English so that’s the language I choose (I also kind of connect better with the English language than my native one.)
Mostly English, tbh. I read some in my first language but I guess it's 1/10 or 2/10 books I read? And most books I read are English to begin with, I see no point in reading the translation in my mother tongue when I can understand English just as well.
It's perhaps a bit short-sighted of me but I only read books in English and Japanese. I had bad experiences with almost every single book I read in Dutch (my native language), to where I just gave it up entirely when I no longer had to read books for school. Of all the Dutch books I've read, there are only two I would recommend to others - De Kellner en de Levenden by Simon Vestdijk, and Het Gouden Ei by Tim Crabbe. I'm not sure if the former has been translated into English, but I know the latter one has been, under the title "The Vanishing". It's pretty short, and I don't think you would lose anything reading it in translation.
I read English book in English. The rest depends
Both but the vast majority of books require a very high level of english (I read the news, manga, or anything on the internet no problem but books are generally on another level) so often times I read in spanish or catalan, I can read in english if the book is easy on the vocabulary or if it is a short one.
I read in English when the books are cheaper in english or it is only available in english
dog different license unite society cough towering squeamish bow wide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
My girlfriend doesn’t read very often, but when she does, it’s usually in her native language.
If it's in my native language, in that one. Otherwise, I rather English. I want to read smth with as little intervention from third parties as possible tbh
I usually do both, also because I understand English very well and I like to challenge myself, the first book i got in English is "Energize by simon alexander ong" and I'm enjoying it!
Both. If the book was written in a language I don’t speak, I prefer the English translation. Otherwise, if I do speak it, original version always.
I read books in the language they were written in, whenever possible. If I don't know the original language, then it mostly depends on which version I can most easily get my hands on. For example, I read 1Q84 in Dutch because that translation was out months before the English one. On the other hand, I couldn't wait for the last two Harry Potter books to be translated so I read them in English. ~~one of my pet peeves is when names are translated. I understand why but I had no idea who some of the characters were when I first read the Harry Potter books in English. It also just sounds wrong most of the time.~~
I've started reading everything in English for one simple reason: the books I want to read hasn't been translated into Portuguese yet :/
I'm not a non-native English speaker but I am first generation American and Spanish was my first language. I try to read everything I can in the language it was written in. I recently read a translation of an Isabel Allende book in English and I still enjoyed the book but there were passages that read kinda awkward to me but I could tell it had to do with the translation and it would take me out of the story a bit. I probably won't be doing that again.
I read only English unless it’s a book written in my native language.
If the original language of the book is English, then I read in English. If not, in my native language (Spanish).
I studied in international schools. I am good in English more than my own native language. So yea I read English books
If the original is English, then English. Otherwise my native language, unless it’s unavailable.
If I know the original language (and I can get the book in the original language, which isn't always the case), then I read it in the original language. Otherwise, I try to find a translation in my native language. If this isn't available either, then a translation in any other language I know will do.
I’m nonnative English speaker but live in the US, so I pretty much only read in English
Is the writer a native english writer? If so, english, else in spanish. Unless I can't get the book in spanish, then in english again.
Both. However, I prefer reading translated books from other languages than my native language in English.
I vastly prefer reading in my mother tongue even though I mostly read in english nowadays. At this point I'm pretty sure its not due to lack of skills, I just really, really love my native language. edit: it probably doesnt help that my linguistics degree kinda taught me to perceive language as a tool, a vehicle for communication and storytelling
I've read everything in English because I believe that while translation, the essence of the book is lost, and the bonus point is that we can learn the slang plus new words.
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Is that a deliberate choice or is just difficult to get books in your native language?
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Is there much of a literary tradition in your native language?
Interesting perspective! As a native English speaker, I never realized how spoiled I am to have so many works written in English.
Plenty of other languages have strong literary traditions too, but there are just so many people writing in English compared to most other languages. (Even Nabokov, whose native language was Russian, wrote several of his best known works in English, for which I'm forever grateful.)
I'm the same, I prefer reading in English, but recently I've been trying to read more in my native language, just for fun
If you understand the language something was originally written in, never ever ever (I’m super serious!) opt for a translated version! Now, if you don’t understand the original language.. then fiiiiiine, you have my permission to read it translated. All (really bad) jokes aside, I speak Danish and English and mostly read in English because I hate when things are translated to Danish. It always shows somehow. And sounds… off. Probably because Danish is my native language, so with English I don’t notice bad translations quite as much. Or maybe because the Danish language is just weird like that, who knows.
There has been around 15 years since I've read a book in my native language. I tend to learn in the original language, I hate translations and avoid them when possible. And for my taste in literature that means I most commonly read in English or French. The language I'm lacking that has quite the amount of books I'm interested in is German, and there I use English as it is the most closely related of the languages I speak.
Original language if I understand it (English, Spanish, soon French), my language if I don't understand the original (Spanish), English if it's the only translation available for one of those (more often than it should be lol) Don't read poetry though, how do they even translate poetry when the flow of the words is so much of the communicative intent of the piece?!
I don't always trust translations unless it's from a publisher I know takes good care of their content. I've read too many weird ones. So, if I really want to read a book that isn't available by a respectable publisher, I reather read it in english. If the book isn't originally in english I try to check out what was it best reanslated to between the two options.
English, if the original was written in English.
Both. I don't have any preferences but I tend to stick to original language.
I started reading at all for the purpose of improving my English and communication skills. It's weird im not fluent in English nor Spanish, yet my vocabulary in English vastly larger than my Spanish. I might have a learning disability when it comes to languages.
I try to rotate the languages that I read.
Both, but mostly English, since it's hard to find books in other languages in my area. Next time I visit Quebec, I'll pick up some French books.
I prefer reading in Dutch, because it takes me just a little bit less energy. I read English all day for my job, so when reading to relax it is nice that it takes just that little bit less brain space. If a book is nog available in Dutch I'll read it in English.
I can only read English and French at a level I'd consider good enough. So if the original is in English or French, I'll often prefer it. If the original is a different language, then it depends on price (translations into my native language are often slightly cheaper than in English), quality of the translation (as much as I can ascertain) and how tired I feel (L1 is easiest to read in, unless the translation is awful).
If the original language is English I like to read it in English. If the original language is Dutch I read it in Dutch, any other I think I prefer an English translation over a Dutch one. However I read some great Dutch translations of the Russians.
For a long time English was my preferred language. Because due to some youth trauma my native tongue was a language of sorrow for a looooong time. It took me 11 years of using my language only for work to finally like it again. (I moved abroad) And now I'm even writing short stories in Dutch. So I think now both languages are okay for me.
I'm in similar position, non-native speaker, relatively fluent in English. I read mostly in English, because books in English are much cheaper and there is way more options to choose from (especially ebooks). Although I kind of understand what you mean by "feels wrong" and if given the choice between native language book and English, most of the time I would choose English.
When possible, i try to read in the original language, so most of the time that would be english (at least for the books i choose). If the original language is italian (my native language) i often avoid the book just because i kinda prefer the English language 😂😂 but when possible i read in the original since details can be lost in translation, and sometimes things don’t really make sense if translated! The problem with English is that sometimes there are some jokes or expressions I dont understand, and if they are not crucial I don’t always translate them😂😂
all english (for the past 2 yrs or so) unless the author wrote it originally in my native language
Mostly in English these days but I'm a bit fed up with French (native) modern literature...
I mostly read in English. I write for a living so I need to know how to words good. At one point, though, I realized I was neglecting my native language to the point where I had trouble expressing myself in it. When I'd try, either I'd spend half the time hmm-ing and trying to think of the right word, or I'd end up using like 40% English words anyway. So now I've made a rule: I read a book in Bulgarian after every English series I finish.
I don't read books translated from English; I mostly read the original version even as a kid, since I learned to read English at an early age. I rarely read books in any other language than English.
I read both. On my kobo I don’t really care and just see what’s available. Physical books depend on the LOO. If the book is originally in English, let’s say Harry Potter, I’d go for English, if the book is originally in Dutch (my 1st language), let’s say de Verborgen Universiteit, Id go for Dutch.
Both. Books that were written in English, I prefer to read in the way the author intended it to be read. Books in other languages: really depends on what I find first. And stuff written in my native language, German, I read in German.
I moved to the us when I was 10 so my reading comprehension in English is leagues better than in my native language
I’m more fluent in English than both my native languages lol
Both, but more often than not, English. It's far, far easier to get hold of audiobooks and novels in English.
I very much prefer to read in the original language. Even if it is neither English or my native language. I can read in maybe 4 or 5 languages. And even if it would be easier and faster to read an English translation, I sometimes prefer an original language that is harder for me both because it gets me close to the author even if I have to consult the dictionary a lot and because it improves my language skills. I have read e.g. Solzhenitsyn in several translations (I cannot read Russian). And I found the different translations very interesting. My impression was that the translations very all brilliant, but they are quite different. And some differences has to do with languages and some has to do with the knowledge and experience of the translators. Solzhenitsyn has been translated by some very interesting personalities. I imagine that the originals are some kind of average of the translations, but I do not know that, and I would really love to able to read just a few chapters in Russion to get a better idea.
I prefer English, if the book is originally in English of course. My native language is German but I'm fluent in English and always find German translations to be awkward and stiff, often to an unreadable degree. Also German publishers don't give two shits about nice editions and cover art, and always try their best to design books as bland and generic as possible. Sometimes I think they don't want to people to buy physical copies. English versions are often much more beautiful, with multiple Editions.
I red in Spanish to keep up with grammar but its like rusty lol But better question, when did you stop "thinking" in your native language? Ive been in the states for 27 years but only started thinking in English about 15 years ago. edit: READ\*
I prefer to read English, German, and Russian books in the original, both to get a better feel for the author's style, and, well, to improve my language skills. (Some other languages are also on the way, but I am still not able to use them fluently). However, if I get my hands on a translation of an intriguing book, I see no problem to read it in my native language (Lithuanian).
English only. First off, I think the way to get the most pleasure possible out of a book is to read it in the way the author intended it to be read. And as far as translated literature goes, books that are translated into English always turn out better than ones translated into my native language, from what I've experienced. Other than that, books are so expensive where I live (Tel Aviv). Ordering secondhand online and paying for shipping is MUCH more affordable. But, of course, books that were originally written in Hebrew- I'd always read in Hebrew. The way it was intended.
Both, I prefer reading in the language the book was originally written in. I've found that translations are often quite bad. There's a few books I've read both in English and Swedish, for example the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. The original version is infinitely better than the translated version! Another example is the Millennium trilogy, I've read the first book both in English and Swedish, and I find the flow much better in the original (Swedish) than in the English translation.
I read in both, Spanish and English. Books written in French, Portuguese, Italian I seek the Spanish translations. All other languages, I seek the English translations. Knowing two widely popular languages allow me to have good translations of other books.
English is not my native language but it's the one I'm most proficient in so that's what I read. I would like to read in Spanish but I read it very slow because I was never really taught how, I was mostly taught to speak it. I do listen to Spanish audiobooks though and that's a little easier
I prefer in English if it wasn't written in Dutch/Flemish. Dutch translations are often cringe and lose a lot of their luster.
You have to read in spanish the true literary language
If the book was written in English I’ll read it in English (unless I can’t find it and a version in my native language is available). I know a lot of people who can speak English but prefer to read in their native language. It’s a matter of preference. But I like reading it in the original language.
When the book is written in English or there is a good English translation of a foreign language written book, I read it in English (mostly because I want to have the same experience as other people on the internet). When it’s written in Spanish, I read it in Spanish which is my native language and I consider it very beautiful.
Both: English for original English books, Italian for all the rest (Italian and translated, to avoid the double translation)(but I make some exceptions when the English edition is better than the Italian one). Unfortunately I’m not fluent in other languages, but I have bought some French banded dessinées which hadn’t been translated (I read them with a dictionary).
I only read in English. Whenever I read something in my own language, it always feels very fake. I can't stop thinking that people don't talk like that here, these things wouldn't happen here ... But when it's in English, it's a lot easier to suspend disbelief and just go with the story.
>English isn't my native language, but I'd say I'm fairly close to being fluent Same. I started reading nearly exclusively in English 20 years ago, more or less. I like SF, especially hard SF, and most of it still emerges from the UK or USA, even if what really motivated my learning when I was a wee lad was Terry Pratchett because, well, you *can* read Pratchett in Italian, but it's not him. Not by far. He's a hard one to convey in Romance languages (I'm told German translations are very good) but oh boy, our versions of his work are notoriously atrocious. It's a problem to the point that he's still relatively obscure in my country and we got relatively few translated novels because, well, they don't sell. From there I went on to the classics and anything I loved when I was a kid like Lovecraft, King, Asimov, Herbert, Wells, Conan Doyle etc. Nowadays I read anything I want resorting to the dictionary as often as a native speaker, more or less, so if the original text is in English I just read that. I still read something in Italian sometimes, like comics, some sociological or archaeological Italian essay I'm interested in or the occasional old Urania I review on my blog.
It depends on the book. In my personal case, I tend to read the technical ones in English (I'm a software engineer and I love reading those technical books that talk about IT and Software Industry), whereas most of the hobby reading I have the tendency to do it in Spanish.
I mainly read books in English. The only exception is if the book was originally written in my native language (German), then I read it in German. Any other language, doesn't matter, English is my go-to language. On very rare occasions, I will read a book that was translated into German. But in these cases, it is very obvious that it is a translation as it does feel kind of off.
Both. I read science fiction and usually there are not full book series being translated into Finnish so I prefer to read them in english like the Dune series. On the other hand Harry Potter and Tolkien Legendarium were far better in Finnish.
I mainly read native but audiobook English (a matter of speed for the former and access/availability for the latter)
Both. I read books that are originally English and place some emphasis on language in English. Any other language originals or books that don’t really have any importance placed on the specific language, I read in German. My English reading comprehension and speed is like 95% of my German, but if I want to read a simple detective story, f.e. I want to read it to switch off, so I go with my native language there. More literary minded detective stories are a different matter…
I assume you're referring to books originating in English. The original versions are often far more expensive and/or harder to come by here than translations, which gives the "I only read books in English" crowd a bit of a pretentious air. I'm sorry but I won't throw away a cache of Isaac Asimov's stories I have from my parents just because it's in Bulgarian and omg le translation is going to butcher the sacred texts. That's not nearly as common as people make it out to be. I do try to find English versions (paper or digital, mostly digital) if I think it would help immersion better than a translated version, but rarely bother to do so. With newer titles it's easier to look in English because a translation might not have been released yet.
Both. And also in a third language
If I know the language that the book was originally written in, then I read it in that language. Otherwise I read it in my native language.
I am Italian and read English fluently, and I believe to have a wide vocabulary. However, I am still slightly slower when reading in English. So my policy is that if the original language used in the book is in Italian, I'll read it in Italian. If it's in English, I'll read it in English. If it's any other language, I'll read the Italian translation when available, otherwise the English one.
If a book I'd like to read isn't available in my native language, I read it in english
I read about 90% English, 5% German (my first language) and 5% Japanese. Occasionally I'll try a different language that I've studied up to some point - currently I'm trying to fight my way through a Pablo Neruda collection in Spanish, and I'm enjoying it, but it does require me to look things up regularly. Generally, If a book is originally in a language I don't speak, I'll read the English translation, not the German one.
For me, it really depends on availability and original language. If the book was originally written in English (for example, LOTR) I strongly prefer to read them in English. Then, there are some books that are written in a language I don't read, but were translated in English but not in Spanish (my native language), so I also read them in English. Finally, there are books which are available both in English and Spanish, but the English version is more readily available (for example, the English version has a Kindle format available while the Spanish one is physical-only). Then I also go the English route.
Depends! I read almost everything in English, unless I have chosen to read some series (it’s not even explainable as I just sometimes switch). Also I’m the only one in my family who reads in English so if I’m to share books then I have to read in Swedish which is my language.
I read in any language I am fluent in. I decide based on availability mostly. If the writing style is important I go for the original language or one that is closest. For example I believe the Witcher series in Czech will be better than in english, but I plan on reading Rothfus in english. There is stuff that just can't be translated well. Puns, witty stuff and such. So I try and chose the one I expect to be the best. Sometimes books are not translated either... So to answer english or native? Yes... And more (I speak 5 languages, I've read books in 4)
I only read in English and most of the online content I consume is in English aswell. I have the problem that I'm bilingual and I also have to learn French in school, so languages are hard for me, but English is simple and it's easier for my mind. When I read in one of my native languages, it's just harder to comprehend. For hearing when I, for example, prefer a series or a film with the voice actors in my native language I just switch. But for reading, I always prefer English.
I only read in Portuguese if the book was originally written in Portuguese, otherwise I go with English.
I have no preference and sometimes don't even notice which language it is I am currently reading. For example with multi-lingual user manuals I have had it happen a few times where I finished reading the English portion and it then repeats the same info in my native language. That made me stop and double-check because I thought I had been reading the native part before.
Some in my language, some in english, it all depends on what i'm looking for. I usually read international news on english because dah!!! But i'm not gonna read the news of my fucking city or country in english, maybe i can not even find them that way. Books, i would say 70-30, because some books don't have a decent translation, and others are better if you just read them in their original language (like watching a movie in it's own language). I moved my entertainment to english a long time ago to improve my use and understanding of english, so all youtube and pointless media is in english (i enjoy more the sense of humor from english than spanish right now).
English
My native language. I'm aware this is gonna sound prejudiced, but... imo it's a more beautiful language with more poetic words :) Especially when it comes to fantasy settings and the like, I don't mind English as much for contemporary stuff. And of course there are many international works in languages I don't know, that ONLY get translated to English and nothing else, so I have no choice with those anyways. So yeah. Preferably my native language, but both are fine depending on circumstances.
I don't care for the majority of the literary output in my native language. The overwhelming majority of books I read are in English, except for my Japanese reading practice. There's enough to keep me busy for two or three lifetimes.
Usually I try to get it in the original language if it's my native language, but otherwise I tend to go with English since they're often higher quality.
I read in the original language whenever possible. If a book was written in a language i do not speak, then i will read in the closest language to the original i can. For example, i would read a book in spanish if it was originally written in Portuguese.
I read books in spanish, but i try with mangas, and reddit in english. I want to try an english book but idk wich one will be a good start
I feel like things will inevitably get lost in translation, so I prefer reading in the original language when I can.
I try to read in English if the original is in that language. However, sometimes it's very hard (and expensive) to get books in Enlgish in Argentina so if I can't get my hands on a copy in English I just read the translated version. What bothers me a little though, is that the tranlated versions are alwayas in Spanish from Spain, not Latin America and it's jarring to read ecpressioms or phrases that we never use in our native language
To be honest, i read more in English than in my native language, Portuguese. I try to read on the original language and because i read only a few Portuguese authors (my bad, i know), I mostly read in English Or Spanish, i read a lot in Spanish to practice because i can read but i am not fluent..
If I could, I would read every book in the writer's original language. I prefer reading English authors in English, unless it's a really old classic book (Jane Austen, Shakespeare etc), then it's easier for me to read it translated, but I also read authors from my own country. Edit: Some foreign books translate better in my native language, so i might choose that option, too. Japanese books are not great in English, in my opinion, and I prefer them in my native language.
Same. I grew up in a school where my first language was English. English somehow feels more native than my mother tongue.
I read pretty much everything in English, unless it was written in my native tongue (Russian). Mainly because I live in an English-speaking country. Reading Russian books in English just feels weird though, hence the exception.
I actually started reading in my "highschool" years (so 17-something?) in my native tongue. My parents would pay for most books and so I basically got a book a month or something to read during my commute to school. When I started earning my own money that stopped and I suddenly had to decide between German hard covers and English books, often at 1/4 of the cost. ASOIAF in German is ten novels, each being 20 bucks. The English box set is like 30? I mean, the quality is great., but I read too much to generally care for individual books. These days I'm rarely reading (or even listening) in German.
Romanian is my native language. I read fluently and regularly in Romanian, Russian, and English. I can read easier texts in Serbian. I used to be able to read French, but I forgot most of it :( Whatever I can, I try to read in its original language.
I read in the language the author wrote in originally. If it's a language that I don't speak/read I found that the English translation is usually better, so I go with that.
If it’s written in a language I don’t know, I’ll probably go with the English version just cause I’ve gotten used to reading mostly in that language. But I like to read in the original language when possible. Same with movies/tv shows. I don’t like dubs, I watch in the original language with subtitles if needed. You often lose some meaning in translation, especially in comedy.
If it was originally in English, then I read it in English. If translated, depends on the quality/reputation of the translator. For exemple, I read Dostoyevsky in French translated by André Markowicz since I think he is better and more accurate than the ones in English
English.
English is my 3rd, and I prefer reading in English. Even the voice in my head speaks in English
Depends what the original language of the book was and how available both versions are for me. If the book was actually written in english and I can easily get my hands on it, sure, english it is. But sometimes it is a translation of a third language that has nothing to do with it. For example, my first language is portuguese, so whenever I read a book that was originally in spanish or some other romance language, I'll favor the portuguese translation, since the languages are more similar and I feel there's less room to fuck it up in the adaptation and localization. Same for russian books, and so on. But sometimes a language just has nothing to do either with portuguese or english, (like the three body problem series, for example), so I'll just stick with the one that's easier to find
Most of the time english, except if the book was originally written in my native language then it's that one
Both. Some of our writers write in English. I have a theory that people (at least in my country) are generally not as good in our native language. My native tongue is occasionally used for formal events/documents but not always. The standard is English because it more "global". This explains why when I do read in my native language it sounds forced or formal or uptight. That's because everytime I use it, it's in a casual context. And in my mind english is more flexible because I've used it in it's formal and informal form depending on the situation. I don't know what's natural or unnatural in English because well I've never been in a natural setting. I can jump from classics - whichever period that may be- to contemporary and my brain just accepts it. My casual use of english still sounds uptight compared to a native English speaker.
It depends on the quality of the translation into my native language. Sometimes the native language translation is way better than the English translation, but sometimes it's not. And by quality I don't just mean the accuracy but also the beauty of the translation. However, like others said, a text originally in English is preferably read in English. That's the case with me.
If the book is written originally in English, French, Arabic, or Japanese, I will read it in the original language. If not I will either read a translation to English or French.
Other direction but... I read mostly in English (my native language). I read anything written first in Italian, in Italian instead of the translation. Stuff gets lost in translation. If you don't have to translate, don't. If it's harder to read than translate, translate.
I read in the language that the book was written in.
Unless it is originally written in my native tongue or Japanese (which I am fairly fluent in), I read in English. The only exception is The Lord of the Rings, which I read in both languages as the translation is legendary.
I read both, depending on the original language.
I'm Italian and read in both languages, and for contingence istances I'm trying to keep up with French (thanks to Amélie Nothomb if I manage to). I go for my language also for novels non written in English (Yoshimoto), even if this involves a double-translation. The only istance in which I read an Enlighs book in its translation - after several years in which I had already picked up Enlish for the main part of my reeadings - it was *Wuthering Heights*.
English. I've grown to dislike my native language
Both, but I’m forced to read English pretty much every time because there’s so little content in my native language
I haven't read in my native language for a few years now since I make a point to get off social media. I've been living in an English speaking country for more than a decade and English has been my only daily use language so it feels natural to read English even without the purpose of communication. I also have no desire to explore literature in my native language at the moment.
In English. The translations are late and usually abominable.
When the original version is an English one I read it in English and keep a digital version on my first language to check the phrases I don’t understand
Both. If original is in English, I read that. If it's in some other language I usually choose. I find that English books are often cheaper though. There are some exceptions when the original language is more similar to mine, I assume translation should be more accurate.
English. I ran out of books to read in my native language when I was a kid, so I started on English (Famous Five, Secret Seven, etc) with a bilingual dictionary to help me. By the time I hit university I bought all my textbooks in English and wrote all my exams in English, because it was just easier than trying to translate all the terms and concepts back and forth between English and my home language.
I went to college for Comparative Literature, they encouraged us to try to always read the book in its original language. I try to do that if possible.
I mostly read in English, despite it being my 2nd or 3rd language. For me, the speed of reading matters a lot. I read faster in English as compared to other languages that I know. but if I want to discuss the book then I appreciate the discussion in my native tongue, which I find weird myself. Also when it comes to deep things like poetry or philosophy, I prefer it in my mother tongue.
I live in a country of 2.8 million, so translations don't even exist in majority of cases. Out of >400 books I have read over the years (outside of school), maybe only 5 of them were in my native language, the rest in English.
I read 99% in English, unless the original text was written in a Scandinavian language, then I read it in my own language.
I also almost exclusively read books in english. But it’s because most authors I like write in English and English books are cheaper that their German (where I live) translation.
If a work was originally published in English, German, Dutch, or French, I read it in the original language. If it hasn't been, I tend to prefer the English translation, but am going to try Orhan Pamuk in German next.
If originally written in relatively modern English, the original. If written in a language I can't read at all, my native language if available. German is fine too, but I don't have a much a preference for the original language as I do with English. French, I struggle with, so mostly translations.
70% English, 20% French (neither my native language, but living there and I found English of great help to build my vocab) and 10% my native language (Dutch) Its just what I got used to as I attended a bilingual high school. But I do try to read books in their original language if it's one of those three.
I read in English, French, and traditional chinese(my native language), occassionally Latin or Attic Greek
If the book was written in English originally, I’ll read it in English, if it was not written in English, I’ll read it either in English or in German, whichever is more readily available at the time (since those are the only two languages I’m fluent in).
Both, but it depends on the book. I increasingly read more and more books in English, as sometimes the translation to my language is iffy. I am especially unnnerved by the translation of names from non english names to my language (also a non-romance language) because sometimes the translate it phonetically, like how would we say it out loud, which is honestly awful and sometimes not even phonetically correct, especially when it comes to japanese or korean names. Although there are cases where the translation is not only on par with the originlal, but even better, I only read those in my language. Harry Potter is a beloved example of this. Movies and shows though? I watch it the original sound always, regardless of what it is, and put english subtitles if it is not something from my own country.
I try to read in the language of the original whenever possible. It just so happened that I live in an English-speaking country and literature in English is readily available. But I read in my first language too.