PDSP in Romanian

[Steve Pavlina]

I just received some copies of my book in Romanian, published by AMSTA Publishing. I can see that it's currently on their home page.

The title is Dezvoltare Personala pentru Oameni Isteti (minus the accented characters).

This the first translated version I've received, but I know there are others in the works. I don't know anything about release dates for the non-English editions though.

I'm dying of coolness.

[supertom]

The cover looks very cool, exciting to see what the other covers will look like, post them up as they come alone

[bluedragon]

Wow! In my language. That's great. I'll make sure to check it out and tell you how it sounds. I'm curious if somebody was able to imitate Steve's style in another language.
I'll recommend it to all my friends.
I wish I was the one to translate it... but I didn't even know it was going to be translated. I wonder who was the lucky guy.

[seeker5]

That's cool! It's interesting that it gets translated into a language like Romania first instead of French or Spanish or Chinese - one of those languages you know, with hundreds of million of speakers instead of just 21 million .

However, I'm wondering why they changed the cover to a new cover. I guess the cultural differences warrants such a change.



(Dezvoltare personala pentru oameni isteti - Amsta)

However, now I know how to write Smart People in Romanian!

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by seeker5

However, I'm wondering why they changed the cover to a new cover. I guess the cultural differences warrants such a change.

All American books I have in French or German have covers different from the original.

Congratulations, Steve! I'm happy for you.

[Erin Pavlina]

Seeker5, hay House sold the foreign rights to all kinds of places, including a french and spanish publisher, but those publishing houses don't have to get the book out right away, though they have a time limit. So it's just that Romania got on the ball and got it out fast. The others are a'comin, we just don't know when.

[supertom]

ahhhhh Hayhouse Australia still havent got it yet

[bluedragon]

Yesterday I had a look at the first pages of the book in a local bookstore. I like the way it was translated. I find it "satisfactory" And that means a lot to me. I intend to buy the book for my parents to read, and maybe I will also read it in Romanian the first time. If I had the feeling that it wasn't Steve who was coming through from the book, than I wouldn't even consider it, but I really felt as if I was reading his words.

This made me realize how much I would like to translate personal development books myself in the future. I can get a translator license anytime I want. I am investigating the options for getting in touch with publishing houses although I have no idea how this works.

[bluedragon]

I finally bought the book. Since it was a new apparition, it was pretty expensive, but I decided to align myself with financial abundance and disregard the price

What I can tell is that I do feel it's Steve's style, when I read it, but it lacks the clarity and the great phrasing of Steve's writing in English. I don't even think it was possible to translate it that way, cause I find English an extremely versatile language. Anyway, the basic feeling I am getting from the book is that some smart guy is talking to me as if he knows everything, and my reaction would be like "He'd better know what he's talking about, cause he's very sure of the claims he makes and the definitions he introduces". Luckily, I have read enough of Steve's materials to know that, Yes, he does know what he's talking about. However, I don't think the same can be said about most Romanian people, although I have no idea how many Romanian readers the site has. I do hope that those who do read it enjoy it, and recommend it to their friends.

Aditionally, some of the things that sound really deep and intelligent in English sound really goofy in Romanian, such as Steve's ideals at the end of the book. I can't even read the nouns "peace, energy, abundance" in Romanian without being amused, and peace is my ideal also, and energy is practically the basis of my future profession (Tai Chi and Qigong). But it seems that I have so rarely heard people talk that way here that those words simply sound very "out-there". However, I'm sure it's mostly just me, because I must admit I know only very few people who are interested in personal development or who even care about it. I need to get to know more people like me before I form an accurate view of how these books are being perceived here.

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by bluedragon

I finally bought the book. Since it was a new apparition, it was pretty expensive, but I decided to align myself with financial abundance and disregard the price

What I can tell is that I do feel it's Steve's style, when I read it, but it lacks the clarity and the great phrasing of Steve's writing in English. I don't even think it was possible to translate it that way, cause I find English an extremely versatile language. Anyway, the basic feeling I am getting from the book is that some smart guy is talking to me as if he knows everything, and my reaction would be like "He'd better know what he's talking about, cause he's very sure of the claims he makes and the definitions he introduces". Luckily, I have read enough of Steve's materials to know that, Yes, he does know what he's talking about. However, I don't think the same can be said about most Romanian people, although I have no idea how many Romanian readers the site has. I do hope that those who do read it enjoy it, and recommend it to their friends.

Aditionally, some of the things that sound really deep and intelligent in English sound really goofy in Romanian, such as Steve's ideals at the end of the book. I can't even read the nouns "peace, energy, abundance" in Romanian without being amused, and peace is my ideal also, and energy is practically the basis of my future profession (Tai Chi and Qigong). But it seems that I have so rarely heard people talk that way here that those words simply sound very "out-there". However, I'm sure it's mostly just me, because I must admit I know only very few people who are interested in personal development or who even care about it. I need to get to know more people like me before I form an accurate view of how these books are being perceived here.

Thanks so much for sharing this. I have no control over how the translations come out, so it's interesting to hear this kind of feedback.

[bluedragon]

You're welcome. I guess a translation is basically someone taking an author's ideas and explaining them to a foreign audience.

Oh, and another interesting thing - I am happy that when translating the pronoun "you", they utilized the regular personal pronoun ("tu"), since in Romanian as in many other languages, we also have the polite pronouns ("dumneavoastra"). "The Power of Now" for example was translated using that pronoun, and I liked it, but I don't think your style would have been compatible (it's hard to challenge someone to live more consciously while calling him "sir" - I think this would be the equivalent in English)

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by bluedragon

You're welcome. I guess a translation is basically someone taking an author's ideas and explaining them to a foreign audience.

Oh, and another interesting thing - I am happy that when translating the pronoun "you", they utilized the regular personal pronoun ("tu"), since in Romanian as in many other languages, we also have the polite pronouns ("dumneavoastra"). "The Power of Now" for example was translated using that pronoun, and I liked it, but I don't think your style would have been compatible (it's hard to challenge someone to live more consciously while calling him "sir" - I think this would be the equivalent in English)

Dumneavoastra is a pronoun??? I'd hate to see what the regular nouns look like!

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Dumneavoastra is a pronoun??? I'd hate to see what the regular nouns look like!

They abbreviate it if I'm not mistaken.

Originally Posted by bluedragon

(it's hard to challenge someone to live more consciously while calling him "sir" - I think this would be the equivalent in English)

Hahaha! "Live consciously, sir!".

Literally, "you" IS the polite pronoun. "tu" is "thou". But of course now "you" is just normal (that's because British people are all so uptight and polite with each other all the time! ) and "thou" has become a charming and dusty rarity. Steve used it only once if I remember well ("Thou art God"). I almost cried of ravishment and joy when I found this linguistic gem on Steve's blog!

PS: I wonder whether they will use "tu" or "vous" in French and "du" or "sie" in German!

In my Power of Now in German they use "du" (familiar) and in my A New Earth in French they use "vous" (polite). I personally prefer having Eckhart Tolle talk to me with a familiar pronoun. It sounds more friendly, relaxed and close... just like he is on youtube.

I don't know which one I personally would prefer for Steve's book, but since the book is targeted mostly at the corporate environment, I think "vous/sie" would be more appropriate in France and Germany. People don't appreciate being familiarly called "du/tu" by some bozo they don't know. That's okay in a very spiritual book, but in a book like PDSP I bet it would come across as lacking respect a little bit. But maybe I am wrong about that.

Sorry for rambling... I'm so passionate about linguistics.

[bluedragon]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Dumneavoastra is a pronoun??? I'd hate to see what the regular nouns look like!

Lol - they aren't that scary - I think on average nouns have one syllable more than in English.

I don't know if they abbreviate them in books, but in your mind it's hard to abbreviate

Vous in French at least has 1 syllable, not 4 ! I think it would work.

In my view polite pronouns are only used when addressing someone in a formal situation, someone much older than you (you're 20 and they're 60) or someone you consider superior to you.

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by bluedragon

In my view polite pronouns are only used when addressing someone in a formal situation, someone much older than you (you're 20 and they're 60) or someone you consider superior to you.

That is different in France and Germany and I would LOVE to talk about it, but it would reeeeeally be off-topic here! Gnnnnnk... must.... resist.... arrgghh...

[Steve Pavlina]

I'm just glad that all my furniture is genderless. Trying to learn which French nouns were male vs. female motivated me to master English.

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I'm just glad that all my furniture is genderless. Trying to learn which French nouns were male vs. female motivated me to master English.

Ooohhhh Steve, you tried to learn French and didn't continue? Now you're breaking my heart! :'(

You should have been glad that French has only two genders. Some other languages have three of them!

But... this means that you speak a little bit of French, right? I want to hear you speak French!!

[Steve Pavlina]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

Ooohhhh Steve, you tried to learn French and didn't continue? Now you're breaking my heart! :'(

You should have been glad that French has only two genders. Some other languages have three of them!

But... this means that you speak a little bit of French, right? I want to hear you speak French!!

I took 3 years of French in high school and placed 4th in California for the National French Contest (7th place in the Western USA). But since I haven't used it much in 20+ years, I don't remember very much (un tres petite peux seulement). I'd have to relearn a lot of vocabulary.

[bluedragon]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I took 3 years of French in high school and placed 4th in California for the National French Contest (7th place in the Western USA). But since I haven't used it much in 20+ years, I don't remember very much (un tres petite peux seulement). I'd have to relearn a lot of vocabulary.

With all your kick-a** memory techniques? I think it wouldn't take you a long time

With all these language differences, makes you wonder how much our language shapes the way we see the world.

An alien culture might view our language as being completely illogical and incapable of conveying meaning, which I couldn't disagree with completely, given the weird debates that arise in some threads on this forum

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

(un tres petite peux seulement).

Awwwww, that is sooo cuuuuuute! I totally want to hear you speak French now! Let's skype!

If you ever want to learn French (again), hire me! You're not a language fetishist, but for you I would exceptionally make an exceptional exception.

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by bluedragon

With all these language differences, makes you wonder how much our language shapes the way we see the world.

In my opinion, our language highly influences the way we see the world, and the way we think. You can really notice how different languages are linked to completely different mentalities. But language does not only reflect our way of thinking, it also shapes it a lot. I know that when I speak German for a while, I don't think, feel, and behave the same way as when I speak lots of French, or English, or Spanish. Now I'm learning Norwegian and have started with Japanese and it is, again, a whole new way of thinking.

Learning foreign languages is a great way of expanding one's consciousness and understanding others better! It also helps gaining some perspective on things, and realizing that our way of thinking is not the only valid one. Every new language is a new degree of freedom, or even a new personality.

[Cochonette]

Vreau să exersez la română!
Dar nu pot citi o carte întreagă. :O

[bluedragon]

Originally Posted by Cochonette

Vreau să exersez la română!
Dar nu pot citi o carte întreagă. :O

That's great! What is your connection to Romania?
You can ask me anything if you want

[Lupe]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I took 3 years of French in high school and placed 4th in California for the National French Contest (7th place in the Western USA). But since I haven't used it much in 20+ years, I don't remember very much (un tres petite peux seulement). I'd have to relearn a lot of vocabulary.

Maybe you should re-learn French so you can tell the English-ignorant French speakers why they should eat 100% raw diet among other things.

It would be amazing if you learned the major world languages like Chinese, Spanish, Arabic with your memory technique and translated your own blog and books to those languages.

[Cochonette]

Why would he do that when he could have a translator? I used to be really into studying languages, but that was before I discovered more useful ways to spend my time which might significantly improve the quality of my life and the world. I thought I could do something special by studying languages, but it should really be for personal enrichment... just to translate one website is not a good enough reason.