Jobs & Education2 mins ago
UK Translation vs USA Translation
9 Answers
I am purchasing used books to be read by school-aged children in the United States. Found a few from a seller in the United Kingdom but it occurred to me that there might be a translation problem. While both countries essentially speak English, there are a great many words which do not have the same understood meanings. For example, in the USA the front-top of a car is called it's hood while it is commonly referred to as a bonnet in the UK. While the context of the story is not altered, such a difference in word usage could be confusing to children (and adults). So, can anyone tell me if there is a translation difference for books which are printed for sale in the UK and the same titles which are printed for sale in the USA? Any insight would be appreciated! THANKS!!
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.I don't know any adults that would be confused by your example or similar. We in the UK are very used to Americanisms as they are used here all the time.Why not make a list of common American words and a list of the English version and let the children learn that? My daughter when at high school had to do this for a project,she also had to make a list of words that meant different things in different countries,for example:hood could mean either the bonnet of a car or a neighbourhood in the US but here in the UK it means part of a garment that goes over your head.We had great fun researching the subject.
Yes there will be differences, spelling being the main one (we use spellings like neighbour, colour etc). I don't know if words are changed (eg we turn a tap, not a faucet on, to get water). I did once read an American childrens book but all I can remember is that they spelt Queen (referring to our Queen - Elizabeth II) without the capital Q. For the purpose you want to buy the books I'd get them from an American supplier.
Can you not simply put a sticker inside the front cover explaining that they are UK books and therefore may have different spelling of some words. You could even go so far as to read the book and any words you find that are totally different (such as your example of hood/bonnet) could be listed on the sticker with the American counterpart.
With the greatest respect I would suggest that it may actually help with their education as in my experience many Americans have little to no knowledge of different cultures and to introduce them to the concept that other countries use I different form of English would be good for them.
With the greatest respect I would suggest that it may actually help with their education as in my experience many Americans have little to no knowledge of different cultures and to introduce them to the concept that other countries use I different form of English would be good for them.