On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 15:31:58 -0000 Grant Edwards <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > That made me smile on a Monday morning (not an > insignificant accomplishment). I noticed in the one > footnote that the H.P. book had been "translated into > American". I've always wondered about that. I noticed > several spots in the H.P. books where the dialog seemed > "wrong": the kids were using American rather than British > English. I thought it rather jarring.
"translated into American", I'm sure refers to the American version of the book, which is titled "Harry Potter and the Sourceror's Stone". I find that bizarre. There is no mythological basis for a "Sourceror's Stone", but the "Philosopher's Stone", was of course the mythical Alchemists' goal of a catalyst for converting lead into gold (it had other properties, IIRC). Apparently the publisher was of the opinion that American children just aren't cultured enough to know about that, even though I knew the reference when I was 12. I am really, really insulted by that. They even went so far as to shoot two versions of every scene in the movie that referred to the stone so that it would agree with the book. AFAICT, you cannot purchase the original movie or book within the United States, and due to the Evil Conspiracy of region-coding, I couldn't watch the British DVD even if I were to import it (Well, yeah I could, but it would be painful, and probably illegal, do to that other Evil Conspiracy, the DMCA -- don't let your country pass a law like this). Now I don't suppose I should really get my nose all out of joint over this sort of thing, but it's symbolic of a lot of things that are wrong with the world right now. -- Terry Hancock ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Anansi Spaceworks http://www.AnansiSpaceworks.com -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
