# Shakespeare translated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733 "2012-01-16T21:57:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/21 "2012-01-18T03:32:53Z")
> [@vdgg81](#): > > I guess it depends on the kind of translation and on the kind of work being translated. A very practical reason for having something translated multiple times when the translations are both very similar to one another and perfectly good is copyrights: … > > But I only really mentioned how different the translations were from each other because I thought it might interest both the OP and **Inner Stickler** , both of whom have mentioned the difficulties of translating poetry and didn’t seem too familiar with translated works. It is obvious, but I miss obvious stuff all the time, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to point it out. Ah, I did not know that about copyrights. I didn’t realize you were referring to poetry. I don’t see how poetry can be translated - it involves sound and rhythm and such _ **dense** _ meaning, isn’t any translation essentially a new work? ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/22 "2012-01-18T03:36:30Z")
I have a Spanish language all-Shakespeare’s-stuff book. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/23 "2012-01-18T04:32:50Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > I have a Spanish language all-Shakespeare’s-stuff book. Mom too! It isn’t even particularly hefty, being on Bible paper. You can download Spanish versions of several of his plays [here.](http://libros.astalaweb.com/Descargas/IndexIng.asp?autor=Shakespeare) More [here](http://www.booksfactory.com/writers/shakespeare_es.htm) (sidebar on the right). Oh, you wanted [the sonnets](http://www.lovers-poems.com/espanol-poemas-de-william-shakespeare.html)? In several languages even. I know it’s been translated to Catalan (Josep Maria de Segarra translated most of his work, I don’t know if everything), but can’t find it with a quick search. If you want to buy it on paper, you’re looking for “Obras completas” in Spanish or “Obra complerta” in Catalan. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/24 "2012-01-18T04:39:45Z")
I recently went through a graduate program in Translation; one of the conferences was by a student of Shakespeare’s translations into Arabic, specifically those done in Egypt. The first ones he told us about involved hefty reworking (Hamlet marries Ophelia, lots of singing and dancing), which was required in order to make it something the Egyptian public of the time would pay to see. Yes, a Bollywood Hamlet (well, Cairowood): it was what they were used to and it was what they wanted to see - a drama with lots of angst, no singing and no dancing could have caused a riot on its opening night. Later translations were closer to the original, but also done for an intelectual elite; the translator wanted to make the Minister of Culture happy, not get money from tickets. He thought that modern Egyptian public would be open to unadapted translations, as now they do have the concept of spoken drama which they didn’t have in 1915 (if I remember the date of that first translation correctly). ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/25 "2012-01-18T06:06:24Z")
Ah, good, I have a chance to tell about my favorite Shakespearean translation tale: On the very first Spanish edition of Hamlet, the classic monologue was translated and the famous first line of “to be or not to be” was translated as "to existir o no existir”. That is, “to exist or not to exist”!, later editions appeared with the “correct” more popular “Ser o no ser” as many later theater plays and movies popularized the “ser o no ser”, but the controversy still remains. > **['Hamlet' en la lengua de Sancho](https://elpais.com/diario/2004/07/03/babelia/1088809574_850215.html)** > > He aquí el dilema del director que monta Hamlet en castellano: encargar una traducción nueva o rebuscar entre las muchas que existen. Lluís Hom > [@](#): > > El monólogo más famoso del teatro británico, Moratín lo sirve de este modo: “Existir o no existir: ésta es la cuestión”. Choca tanto que en la edición más reciente (Teatro II. W. Shakespeare. Algaba, Madrid, 2004), los editores han enmendado al traductor en este punto. “Ser o no ser, ésa es la opción”, "The most famous monologue in British theater, Moratín (the original translator) serves it this way: “To exist or not exist: that is the question.” It clashes so much (with the extremely popular way) that in the most recent edition (Theater II. W. Shakespeare. Algaba, Madrid, 2004), the editors have amended the translation by making this point: “To be or not be, that is the _choice_” As in: “oh, just have it your way!” pick any way you want that sounds good to you when you do the play. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/26 "2012-01-18T06:08:26Z")
WTF I looked al over the web but couldn’t find a LOLCat Shakespeare! I thought we’d have that by now. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/27 "2012-01-18T06:14:56Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > WTF I looked al over the web but couldn’t find a LOLCat Shakespeare! I thought we’d have that by now. > **[Kweschun](https://www.savagechickens.com/2009/08/kweschun.html)** > [@](#): > > The ending is quite touching. > > **Hamlet** : Teh rest iz quiets. > \*\* > Horatio\*\*: Kthxbye, sweet prinz. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733/28 "2012-01-18T06:44:27Z")
I know at least some of it has been translated into Korean since some Korean college students I met mentioned reading it (in Korean) in High School. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shakespeare-translated/609733.md?page=1)