When is someone going to crowd-fund translation of the Perry Rhodan series? I mean, there’s only - what - about 3000 of them?
Kellermann’s Tunnel was translated to English in 1914, according to http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)/Kellermann,_Bernhard
While that page states that Der Tunnel has received an English translation, it seems to be the only place I’ve seen that claims a translation exists. I have yet to find an actual copy of it.
Nearly 2800 issues of the main series, some 800 of its offshoot Atlan, a couple hundred stand alone novels with ties to the series and about 70 of the ongoing Neo series, a reimagining which reinterprets characters and settings.
Is there a headline that’s more quintessentially Cory?
I am still partial to this one: http://boingboing.net/2013/10/29/3d-printed-ukulele.html
I used to own a copy of the English translation of The Tunnel, there was nmore than one edition, and there is at least one for sale online now: The Tunnel, Kellerman, Bernard, Published by The Macaulay Company, New York, 1915. It is not a rare book. And that leads me to suspect that there is other homework the translator has not done.
You may be right, there may be an extant English translation, however I have never found one. If it’s not rare, where are the existing copies of the book? Surely one would be on eBay or even Amazon. Even if a translation does already exist, how is there a problem if I decide to translate it again myself? At best I’ve made a piece of German Science Fiction more easily accessible. At worst, I’ve wasted a bit of time and presented the world with a second translation.
Oddly, I found this: http://www.forgottenbooks.org/books/The_Tunnel_1000456692 The book that pops up when clicked is nothing like the actual book. I have found other PDFs for sale purporting to be “scans of the 1915 edition” - the same as this link claims to be.
When not to open your wallet:
Both The Tunnel and Der Rote Komet are also already available in German on Gutenberg.org, and can be had in plaintext. I have to wonder if this “translator” (who doesn’t profess to have any great skill with German) just intends to snake from Gutenberg, and run a translator.
If you really want something to shake your confidence (from his Indiegogo):
“Once the deadline for this campaign passes, everyone who donates at least $2 will receive a digital copy of The Red Comet in their choice of format: ePub, .Mobi, or PDF, all DRM free (if you need your copy to be in some other format, let me know and I will see what I can do).”
“Currently, I am working on a translation of Der Tunnel (The Tunnel) by Bernhard Kellermann, a novel from 1913. So for the backers who purchase one of the further tiers, this would be the second novel you will receive. I do not know when it, or any other novel, will be completely translated and delivered.”
The book listed in tier after Der Rote Comet is one he’s already got for sale (the Japanese fairytales translation sold as an ebook with no reviews on B&N and the one four star review on Amazon is written by a person who wrote one review), but you have no promise of receipt. You may get a digital copy of the one book, but nothing else - so I wouldn’t bother pursuing it.
Translation on microform:
“Kellerman” is spelled “Kellermann”
You know, I never thought about Archive.org having a copy, on microfilm no less. Thank you. Now either I finish the translation I’m working on or ditch it for another book. I’m too far along to want to quit.
While you are correct that there is no promise of receipt, all crowdsourcing campaigns are like that. But I do fully intend on delivering on my promises. I actually like translating. I find it to be fun.
Sorry, but that was in my first Google search under the last name correctly spelled (not your error, spelling error made in the article here). I have to agree with this statement:
Your translation practices are already not great.
Your one book available for sale at this time uses the practice of translating from an intermediate language. That’s a big no-no when it’s not necessary, and can affect the actual meaning of a story. Rather than just translating the book at hand, did you bother to do a thorough search for direct-to-english translations?
Other people can do as they please, but I think they’ll be paying for your hobby, and no matter what you intend, what you have written is no guaranteed promise of fulfillment. Not all crowd sourcing campaigns are like that. The reliable ones promise fulfillment if their stated funding goals are met.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
