Comments on: Ziqaq al-Medaq = Medaq Alley? http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/ With Sake, nothing tastes better than Olives. But you would have to be a Levantine living in Japan to know that. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:14:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: black feline http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3348 black feline Sat, 31 Mar 2007 16:55:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3348 read the Gulf News today...the segment on travelling...a feature on the beautiful castles in Syria...hope to visit in Summer..from Dubai... read the Gulf News today…the segment on travelling…a feature on the beautiful castles in Syria…hope to visit in Summer..from Dubai…

]]> By: Zena http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3346 Zena Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:16:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3346 it doesn't rea;;y matter in what language you are writing or reading, as long as people read what is written and thoughts are spread. it doesn’t rea;;y matter in what language you are writing or reading, as long as people read what is written and thoughts are spread.

]]> By: DUBAI JAZZ http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3345 DUBAI JAZZ Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:17:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3345 Yazan,<br/>When I was still in my full reading stamina, I read Dostoevsky's "Al Alblah" in Arabic, translated from French, which itself translated from Russian!!<br/>It was still OK and enjoyable, I guess the 'semantic' part of literature doesn't get spoiled by translation...<br/>However, when it comes to Arabic literature, I would certainly prefer to taste it in my mother language, unless I am trying to improve my English, which I badly need every now and then... Yazan,
When I was still in my full reading stamina, I read Dostoevsky’s “Al Alblah” in Arabic, translated from French, which itself translated from Russian!!
It was still OK and enjoyable, I guess the ‘semantic’ part of literature doesn’t get spoiled by translation…
However, when it comes to Arabic literature, I would certainly prefer to taste it in my mother language, unless I am trying to improve my English, which I badly need every now and then…

]]> By: Ihsan http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3344 Ihsan Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:40:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3344 Still, I have known so many people who speak/read/write good English, but they prefer to read in Arabic...like all the best-selling novels. They will simply buy a translated copy of it into Arabic and read it.<br/><br/>I think for the most part, when a book, novel, or anything really good is translated into another language, it loses something, donno what...maybe its soul...donno...<br/><br/>A third category would prefer to wait till the good novels are made into movies and watch them.. :P but that is off your point I guess....just wanted you to know :D Still, I have known so many people who speak/read/write good English, but they prefer to read in Arabic…like all the best-selling novels. They will simply buy a translated copy of it into Arabic and read it.

I think for the most part, when a book, novel, or anything really good is translated into another language, it loses something, donno what…maybe its soul…donno…

A third category would prefer to wait till the good novels are made into movies and watch them.. :P but that is off your point I guess….just wanted you to know :D

]]> By: Abu Kareem http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3343 Abu Kareem Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:28:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3343 Masterpieces of prose usually do well in translation but not poetry.<br/><br/>Is that the Karmelite in Lattakia? That is where I went to kindergarden and first grade, a couple of decades before you did (God, I feel old!) Masterpieces of prose usually do well in translation but not poetry.

Is that the Karmelite in Lattakia? That is where I went to kindergarden and first grade, a couple of decades before you did (God, I feel old!)

]]> By: Lost somewhere http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3342 Lost somewhere Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:07:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3342 My example might not be "the" example, and could even be a counter-example.<br/>I have been educated in the french system and, must say, even though I had followed very seriously my arabic: french remained the language I felt more comfortable with (writing and reading). <br/>But, these last 5 or more years, I have grown more interested in arabic, so in order to reinforce it I have mainly been reading in arabic.<br/>But what is quite funny is that I also ended up reading some Kundera, Sartre and Flaubert in arabic.<br/>Nevertheless, what you said remains very true, and it feels awkward doing so. <br/>However, the biggest dilema in translations, I think, is that of the Quran. There still remains so much to be understood from the arabic version that it is only too early or impossible to have it translated.the same reader in different states of mind could read a same part very differently. My example might not be “the” example, and could even be a counter-example.
I have been educated in the french system and, must say, even though I had followed very seriously my arabic: french remained the language I felt more comfortable with (writing and reading).
But, these last 5 or more years, I have grown more interested in arabic, so in order to reinforce it I have mainly been reading in arabic.
But what is quite funny is that I also ended up reading some Kundera, Sartre and Flaubert in arabic.
Nevertheless, what you said remains very true, and it feels awkward doing so.
However, the biggest dilema in translations, I think, is that of the Quran. There still remains so much to be understood from the arabic version that it is only too early or impossible to have it translated.the same reader in different states of mind could read a same part very differently.

]]> By: abufares http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/comment-page-1/#comment-3341 abufares Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:34:00 +0000 http://yazanbadran.com/blog/2007/03/ziqaq-al-medaq-medaq-alley/#comment-3341 We are forced sometimes to read the masterpieces in another language. However, as you've pointed out, when we know the original langauge it's just absurd to read a translation. We are forced sometimes to read the masterpieces in another language. However, as you’ve pointed out, when we know the original langauge it’s just absurd to read a translation.

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