Topic started by Traveller (@ globalc34.citicorp.com) on Tue Jul 17 09:03:38 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I feel the books given below should be translated to Tamil.
The books are:

1. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.

2. Road Less Travelled By Scott Peck

3. Child Care By Benjamin Spock.

4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

5. The 48 Laws of Power

6. Works of Jalaludddin Rumi.

7. Works of Emerson.

8. Works of Whitman

9. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan

10. Main Dramas of Shakespeare.

Bye,
Traveller.

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Lotus Eater (@ cf3k-4.lqy.tsnz.net) on: Sat Jul 21 20:14:31
  
  
  Friend Vishvesh
  
  Yes I am one of those "Suit Case people" (not unlike the boat people). People who drag suitcases across continents and seven seas with excess luggage. Always have problem with weight and ingenious ways of solving them, some clever like giving a bit of a steady firm support by toes of the shoes, just when the rushed airline girl reads the gauge. Why are they heavy you ask? It is excess luggage of array of gods (as amulets) and such cultural load. We have miles to go before we sleep.. and we have promises to keep.
  
  Your forays into English world of letters is may I say - a bit intimidating. My reluctant encounters with English unfortunately started off with a red book. This is Wren and Martins English Grammar and composition. The book was I suppose written by two teachers in sheer boredom and lonliness banished to teach English in a remote corner some where up north in colonial India, which you guys now "affectionately" call Pakistan. This red book and its local reprsentative with a cane was not exactly romantic. This book now running over hundreths of edition, is still live. I saw a recent edition in Chennai Book exhibition. I wonder who studies this tortourous labrinthes of English starting with "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall". We had to live with this book for 5 years from 6th Std till school cert. By this time the book has revealed the then art of book craft - crude Glue, muslin clothand twines. But though the book becomes physically familiar with inkstains, pressed leaves. Grammar als remained as in comprehensible as ever. A sort of "yea feels right/not right" grammar has survived in me - and to this day it has been the same.About English poetry I plead ignorance sans "Walrus and the Carpenter" but I seemed to have picked up a poetical pen name!
  
  Yes, the translations can bring in subtle thought patters for what currently can not be stated in a language. But then like many things, social priorities and finance rule the roost.
  
  From the land of long white cloud and Lotto
  
  Kia Ora!
  
  //Thamaraithinnie
  
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 164.164.79.36) on: Mon Jul 23 02:19:38
  
  I think Prophet is already translated and it was being serialised in Ananda Vikatan decade's back!!I remember my mother telling me abt the book anbd how she enjoyed reading this in tamil when she ws in college and that was some 25-30 - years back!!
  
  Think it was done by Sujatha or Jayakanthan!!
  
  can any of u throw more light on these ?
  
  
• From: Traveller (@ globalc34.citicorp.com) on: Mon Jul 23 10:53:58
  
  Raghu,
  I havent heard of this translation of this Poem.
  I would like to read that.
  Bye,
  Traveller
  
  
• From: Venki (@ tower.ti.com) on: Tue Jul 24 12:16:25
  
  Lotuseater, Agree with your pragmatic and realistic view on traslations into Tamizh.
  
  This thread gives us an understanding of what works in other languages, have influenced us enough to want to share it with people, who can only read Tamizh. It does not make any business sense to translate, if the return on investment is negative or minimal. For that reason any translations of 'profound' works are bound to be a labor of love. Now books of practical use maybe profitable, but will remain mundane.
  
  More importantly, bilingualism - with English as the other - has become pervasive in Tamil Nadu. So much so that, it is going to become rarer for one to come across someone wholly educated only in Tamizh and not knowing any English. In this milieu, it is easier to read the works in the original or in English translation - if from a different language. Change is inevitable, but the whole Tamizh sense and sensibility as a society is undergoing change, which is reflected in the 'aangila kalappu', seen in both the spoken and written idiom. This phenomenon, still being in the ascendant, the reverse backlash of purification is still in it's infancy and more acutely felt by Tamizh expatriates in the English speaking world.
  
  So although translations are good, it is better to read books in their originals. As for Tamizh works, the focus should stay on creating original works in Tamizh and translating them into other languages for a wider audience.
  
  Here are some 'Reading Lists' or 'Canons' (when given official sanction).
  
  The Western Canon: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6681/
  
  Another Western Canon: http://westerncanon.com/
  
  The Wstern Canon, Harold Bloom: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D1573225142/102-6778353-9856106
  
  Another Western Canon: http://www.ucr.edu/h-gig/hist-topics/intelcan.html
  
  Outside Western Canon?: http://www.ucr.edu/h-gig/hist-topics/intelout.html
  
  Tim's Reading List: http://www.eventure.com/twk/classic.html (to throw in a paamara manithanin karuththu).
  
  Public Domain Pali Canon: http://jbe.la.psu.edu/palicanon.html
  
  Tipitaka, another Pali Canon: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/
  
  The Taoist Canon: http://helios.unive.it/~dsao/pregadio/tools/daozang/dz_0.html
  
  The Chinese Buddhist Canon: http://villa.lakes.com/cdpatton/Dharma/Canon/
  
  
  Of course we have compilations of Tamil literary works like at the Tamil Electronic Library
  site, but do we have a Tamizh Literary Canon? If not, do we need one? The following may be helpful.
  
  The Concept of Literary Canon: An Overview
  
  http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/canon/litcan.html
  
  What is a literary Canon?: http://educ.queensu.ca/~qbell/update/tint/postmodernism/canon1.html
  
  
• From: Traveler (@ 202.9.163.119) on: Sun Jul 29 05:54:19
  
  Venki,
  Your sites were simply great. But I thought that this is also one of the ways of improving a soceitys view point.
  Our Soceity needs more visionaries who thinks in a better way and towards future. I am sure that these books have that much impact.
  Bye,
  Traveler
  
  
• From: Venki (@ slip-32-101-18-204.tx.us.prserv.net) on: Sun Jul 29 17:11:23
  
  Traveler,
  
  Translating works into Tamizh is one thing, but getting people to buy and read it is a another thing altogether. It is a little far-fetched to expect societal change by translating books. Even retelling of great works, like Kamba Ramayanam, have had much less impact than social and religious movements by activists. The modern impulse of science, technology and materialism are clearly on the ascendant in Tamizh society as well. Besides, what do you mean by "improving a society's viewpoint." In your view how is Tamizh society 'deficient'?
  
  
• From: Lotuseater (@ cf3k-4.lqy.tsnz.net) on: Mon Jul 30 17:07:51
  
  Weavers of threads
  
  As Venki puts it, changing anybody's view by translations or even by original books is indeed rare.It needs action on the ground and whole heap of other things. Besides (Venki's Q) it needs a seperate thread by itself to see what is deficient among Tamils as society.Not that these are not important but they are now being discussed hotly in several fora and flora.
  
  Venki's sites are good pointers. But It may be a bit interesting still for threaders to give their choices. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I strayed into UFO books for its sheer weirdness. John Mack of Harvard University Medical School has written a book"Passport to Cosmos" which I found was interesting per se.(whether you believe in UFO/aliens). He also has written "Abductions" though I felt enough was enough. This seems to be a modern myth making process unfolding in our times. I still think it is a way the fears of a technological world being reworked collectively and not necessarily true in the sense, of seeing the solidness of say the book in front of me. Though I do not think a transl is called for. There are enough in org Tamilto beat anything...puranas. Could we perhaps exchange some books on Science/Globalisation/any other. I could join in Fiction too -//thamaraithinnie
  
  
• From: farook (@ ) on: Mon Apr 8 10:10:38
  
  Child Care By Benjamin Spock.
  
  
• From: Joe (@ 66-208-215-86.ubr03b.trentn01.nj.hfc.comcastbusiness.net) on: Mon Apr 8 13:05:22
  
  Traveller
  
  The Pilgrims Progress has been written in tamil as 'Iratchania Yathrigam' by Veeramamunivar. It is not merely the translation. It is one of the impressive literatures in tamil written with beautiful verses by a foreigner (Veeramamunivar).
  
  Joe
  
  
• From: karpaga vinayagam (@ 203.197.141.34) on: Sat May 4 07:04:45
  
  sorry mr.joe..
  Iratchanya Yathrigam was written by Henry Krishna pillai. Not by viramamunivar.
  Regards
  Kavi
  
  
• From: karpaga vinayagam (@ 203.197.141.34) on: Sat May 4 07:06:11
  
  The native place of Henry KrishnaPillai is ReddiyarPatti , very near to Tirunelveli.
  Viramamunivar's book is "Thembavani".
  
  
• From: Hinduja Indishi (@ host30-205.pool21759.interbusiness.it) on: Sun May 19 16:03:01
  
  Hari Potter and the philosophers stone. A very nice book. Should be translated immediately in tamil.
  
  
• From: Mavalngkilli (@ wc05.ym.rnc.net.cable.rogers.com) on: Sat Jun 1 13:27:50
  
  First of all read books in Thamizh and translate them in normal words so other Thamizh who don't have good literature could understand. Plz don't translate any other language made book in Thamizh because already we have a problem in this. English is maybe main Language but i don't give a dam for it. It's like hating Hindi and Sanskirit same with English. Do something in ur language or make a story book don't bother translating some thing which'll make our ppl think we don't have any Literature books or anything. Thank you.
  
  
• From: meera (@ ) on: Wed Jul 3 00:59:48
  
  Please add Sivananthan's "When memories die" to list of books which has to be transalated into Tamil. It's about the Sri Lankan history. Sri Lankan Tamil's have to read this book, it's a must, according to view.
  
  
• From: H V (@ gip-vancouver-cache-1.gip.net) on: Wed Jul 17 17:24:12
  
  Has anyone heard of Harry Poter books? I want those in tamil
  
  
• From: Joe (@ 66-208-215-86.ubr03b.trentn01.nj.hfc.comcastbusiness.net) on: Tue Oct 7 11:02:13
  
  Oh, excuse me. That is right. It is thembavani. Some how I remembered thembavani as iratchaniya yathirikam. What I wrote was about thembavani.Thanks karpaga vinayagam.
  
  
• From: Idiappam (@ cache139.156ce.maxonline.com.sg) on: Sat Oct 11 13:45:00 EDT 2003
  
  Which book?
  
  I think, a book on 'How to repair a bicycle?' would be more useful in Tamil!
  
  

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