Reviewing Harry Potter

Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale, translated by Marina Astrologo; illustrations by Serena Riglietti; edited by Serena Daniele (Milano: Salani Editore, 1998).

First of all, let me say that I am happy to see that Amazon is now making the Italian version of the Harry Potter saga available in Italian for folks in North America. I first read this version in the year 2000, but I had to find a way to order from books sellers in Italy and have this volume and its first three sequels arrive by international post. The cost of shipping, the exchange rate between the Euro and the Dollar, and the long wait made it a “gulp!-do-I-want-to-do-this” kind of experience. But reading about Harry and his “compagni” in the language of Dante made it worth it. Now, Amazon is making the acquisition of this and other Italian works less difficult, so I hope others will take a look at Harry Potter in the language where all "H's" are silent.

As to the translation and presentation of J.K. Rowling's first book, I have two observations. The first is that I think the translator of this first volume (Marina Astrologo) and the publisher (Adriano Salani) took this book to be too much of a child's tale. Although Harry and his cousin and classmates are supposed to be 11 years old, this version almost treats them as if they were 8 or 9 years old. This comes out in word choices as well as in the illustrations (by Serena Riglietti).

For example: chapter one in English is called "The Boy who Lived". This could have been translated into Italian as "Il ragazzo sopravvissuto". Instead, the chapter is entitled "Il bambino sopravvissuto". What's the difference? Bambino means "little boy" and ragazzo means "boy". And granted that Harry is really only an infant at the time of Voldemort's attack, by the time we get to chapter two, Harry is no longer a little boy.

The illustrations many and well done, as is typical of many children's books. What is interesting is that the UK originals are not illustrated (except for the covers), and the USA editions have chapter illustrations only. The Italian version, instead, has drawings throughout the book, cutting across the pages or inserted within the text. Most are very comical -- including the drawing of Professor Quirrel (called "Raptor" in Italian) and Voldemort in front of the Mirror of Erised (p. 279). Why a comical drawing here? Does this mean that the Italian editors saw the book as a comedy? This may well me; ghost stories and mysteries are not really part of the Italian tradition.

Linked to this is a problem (I think it is a problem) that the other reviewers have brought out. The Italian edition translates the names of many of the characters. This fact as irritated some of the Italian readership, it would seem, for in the later volumes (as well as in reprints of book one) the general editor (Serena Daniele) writes a Forward in which she explains the reasoning behind the translation of names of persons and places.

Fine, I agree with the signorina Daniele that translation is always a very delicate process (I have had to deal with this in works that I have translated), but my question for the signorina is: why have you translated some names and why have you kept other names in the original? Translating names was something that we did 400 years ago, but do we still translate names? For instance, the English and Americans call certain Italians by English names (Christopher Columbus, John Cabot), while Italians call certain English historical figures by Italian names (Tommaso Moro, Francesco Bacone). During the Fascist period, all names in Italy had to be given in the Italian language, and up to as recently as the 1960s, all actors in the USA were given English-sounding stage names which hid their ethnic origins.

With this in mind, I would certainly understand translating difficult English names for Italian children who were expected to read this book, apart from the fact that my experience in working with kids in Italy over the years has convinced me that they never had problems with foreign names. But why are the names partly translated then? For instance, Albus Dumbledore becomes “Albus Silente” (meaning “quiet”). Why not translate the whole name: “Albino Silente” would have made more sense. Italianize the entire name! Or Severus Snape becomes Severus Piton (python)! Why not “Severino Piton”? It is the inconsistency that makes me question the criteria (in spite of Serena Daniele’s assurances). Oliver Wood becomes Oliver Baston (which means “bat” or “club”), and Neville Longbottom becomes Neville Paciock (pacioccone means plump and easy-going, which may underestimate the real Neville, after all).

This is not about trying to second-guess the translators. I bring out my objection here because I believe that the translators run into difficulties in the later books. Perhaps they believed that Harry Potter was only a little collection of fun, school-boy stories directed at little children (“bambini”). They did not suspect that Harry, and his friends Ron and Hermione and all the other “bambini” at Hogwarts would grow and show themselves to be strong, young adults in the final volume.

There are some correctives taken by way of a preface to the Italian version in this and later volumes. This is good. My hope is that, eventually, a new translation of this first volume of the Harry Potter saga will be undertaken: a translation that will make the series more credible in Italian circles.

In any case, Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale is a great book, as is the original, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.