Higher Institute of Forensic Sciences Al-Nahrain University Baghdad
Question
Asked 22 December 2024
Are there any books whose translated titles have become more popular than the original?
I want some examples of famous books where the titles were significantly altered in translation.
Why are book titles often changed when translated into another language?
Popular answers (1)
Dear Doctor
[the Bible
Unsurprisingly, the Bible is not only the world's most widely sold but also most translated book in the world. Individual parts have been translated into 3,394 languages, and the complete Bible into 694 languages.]
9 Recommendations
All Answers (3)
Higher Institute of Forensic Sciences Al-Nahrain University Baghdad
Dear Doctor
[the Bible
Unsurprisingly, the Bible is not only the world's most widely sold but also most translated book in the world. Individual parts have been translated into 3,394 languages, and the complete Bible into 694 languages.]
9 Recommendations
University of Al-Qadisiyah
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Original Swedish Title: Män som hatar kvinnor ("Men Who Hate Women")
The English title sounds more thrilling and mysterious, which likely contributed to its popularity.
2. "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Original Title: Ten Little Niggers (UK, 1939), later changed due to offensive language.
The translated title became far more acceptable and is now the standard worldwide.
3. "The Sound of Music" (based on the memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers)
The translated title (for the musical/movie adaptation) became iconic, while the original memoir's title is less known globally.
4. "The Elegance of the Hedgehog"
Original French Title: L'Élégance du hérisson
The English version closely translated the title, but the evocative phrasing in English likely helped the book gain international fame.
5. "All Quiet on the Western Front"
Original German Title: Im Westen nichts Neues ("Nothing New in the West")
The English title conveys the same idea but with a more poetic tone, making it more memorable.
8 Recommendations
Uppsala University
Among the English translations of the French novel À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust, the first translation's title Remembrance of Things Past is probably more popular, as it is taken from a Shakespeare sonnet. This is why it is "significantly altered" from the original title. This is not the case in later English translations where the title is In Search of Lost Time.
3 Recommendations
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