Language, please!

You know by now that I'm still working on the second volume of 'The Untold Stories of Neverbeen Universe'.


However, people keep asking me: "Why don't you write in your mother tongue?"
Up until now my answer was that I wanted people all over the world to be able to read what I write.


But it got me thinking anyways. And I realised that I wouldn't reach too many people in my home country if my works weren't translated. So I sat down and revisited my book in order to translate it. Because I'm the author and I should know better than any translator what I wanted to say, shouldn't I? :o


Translating is serious business, though.
And I sometimes find there are things that can't be translated. They just can't. Unless you lose essential linguistic jokes or double entendres or plays on words. While both languages are rich and beautiful for different aspects, there sometimes aren't equivalents there.
And it sadens me, it frustrates me even. :(
Because I don't want to change my stories or force something that doesn't fit; because I want to convey everything as it was meant.


For a fitting translation is also an important aspect that makes a book or breaks it.
So if you ever consider publishing your works in different languages, you'll want to make sure the translation fits.


The best solution probably is to do it yourself. Because you know what you want to say and it doesn't cost you anything but time and effort. But in order to do that you have to be fluent enough. In my case that's not the problem; but even as a native speaker I reach my limits.
Therefore at some point you would have to rely on professionals. That's an easy option, but costly.


Anyhow, I'm more of a DIY type; I'll stubbornly keep translating to the best of my abilities until it's done. So there may be a German edition of 'The Untold Stories of Neverbeen Universe' soon. Yay. :D