Rating: Summary: Interesting attempt, but uses transliteration Review: An interesting attempt at creating a Yiddish translation of the beloved children's classic. This is an "official" version of the book, using the original illustrations. Unfortunately (and this is a major drawback) except for the first paragraph of each chapter, the book is entirely in transliteration: it does not present Yiddish using the Hebrew alphabet. While this might be a boon to some, it is a definite drawback to students of Yiddish and native speakers.
Rating: Summary: Interesting attempt, but uses transliteration Review: An interesting attempt at creating a Yiddish translation of the beloved children's classic. This is an "official" version of the book, using the original illustrations. Unfortunately (and this is a major drawback) except for the first paragraph of each chapter, the book is entirely in transliteration: it does not present Yiddish using the Hebrew alphabet. While this might be a boon to some, it is a definite drawback to students of Yiddish and native speakers.
Rating: Summary: I miss the Yiddish Letters Review: I agree with the previous reviewer. The book is quite lovely and a wonderful idea - to not only have one's childhood favorite but to have it in the language of one's parents and grandparents. The familiarity and nostalgia make it a heart-warming buy. But yes, the missing element is seeing and being able to read Yiddish as it was written. Having a transliteration was, I must say, a surprise when I received the book. Clearly, for so many of us who strain to decipher the Hebrew letters, it'd be wonderful to have both - the actual Yiddish and the transliteration, side by side. Nevertheless, a wonderful present for new parents and grandparents - even if just to hold in their hands....
Rating: Summary: I miss the Yiddish Letters Review: I agree with the previous reviewer. The book is quite lovely and a wonderful idea - to not only have one's childhood favorite but to have it in the language of one's parents and grandparents. The familiarity and nostalgia make it a heart-warming buy. But yes, the missing element is seeing and being able to read Yiddish as it was written. Having a transliteration was, I must say, a surprise when I received the book. Clearly, for so many of us who strain to decipher the Hebrew letters, it'd be wonderful to have both - the actual Yiddish and the transliteration, side by side. Nevertheless, a wonderful present for new parents and grandparents - even if just to hold in their hands....
Rating: Summary: Terrific translation Review: I was both delighted and very impressed with Leonard Wolf's Yiddish version of "Winnie the Pooh". The Yiddish text is excellent - the language is so natural that reading it I had the impression that the Hundred-Acre Wood and all its inhabitants were located in Eastern Europe! There were expressions in the text that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. An excellent piece of work.
Rating: Summary: Terrific translation Review: I was both delighted and very impressed with Leonard Wolf's Yiddish version of "Winnie the Pooh". The Yiddish text is excellent - the language is so natural that reading it I had the impression that the Hundred-Acre Wood and all its inhabitants were located in Eastern Europe! There were expressions in the text that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. An excellent piece of work.
Rating: Summary: Terrific translation Review: I was both delighted and very impressed with Leonard Wolf's Yiddish version of "Winnie the Pooh". The Yiddish text is excellent - the language is so natural that reading it I had the impression that the Hundred-Acre Wood and all its inhabitants were located in Eastern Europe! There were expressions in the text that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. An excellent piece of work.
Rating: Summary: An excellent translation Review: Since none of the reviews that I read here addressed the quality of the translation, I thought I'd say a few words about that.I thought the translation was EXCELLENT! Wolf has a real feel for Yiddish expression. In reading this book I actually had the sense that the entire Hundred-Acre-Wood and its inhabitants were all Eastern European Jews! There were turns of phrase that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. Yes, I suppose it would've been nice to have the whole text in Hebrew letters. But translation is such a difficult task, and this was SUCH a nice job, so why complain?
Rating: Summary: An excellent translation Review: Since none of the reviews that I read here addressed the quality of the translation, I thought I'd say a few words about that. I thought the translation was EXCELLENT! Wolf has a real feel for Yiddish expression. In reading this book I actually had the sense that the entire Hundred-Acre-Wood and its inhabitants were all Eastern European Jews! There were turns of phrase that I hadn't heard since I was a child in New York. Yes, I suppose it would've been nice to have the whole text in Hebrew letters. But translation is such a difficult task, and this was SUCH a nice job, so why complain?
Rating: Summary: Cute Review: This is in TRANSLITERATION. Now you can add Yiddish to the list of 31 languages in which Pooh appears. Read about Vini-der-Pooh, Iya (eeyore), Khazerl (Piglet), and Kristofer Robin, as they munch on Varshaver Tort / Warsaw Cake (Cottleston Pie), and play near Khazerls Hoyz, Kangus Hoyz, Binenboym, Farfleytst Plats, Pu Bers Hoyz, and Hundert akordiker Wald. The book starts with a transliteration pronunciation page, but you really need to know Yiddish to proceed. Ten chapters follow. Each chapter begins with just a paragraph in Yiddish/Hebrew characters. This is followed by the story in Yiddish transliteration in English characters and Ernest Shepard's original illustrations. I was disappointed that there is no English translation, but one can easily just buy the English version also. The easy stuff is "Kristofer Robin hot gornisht gezogt, nor di oygn zenen im alts greser gevorn un des ponem alts Rozever" or when Vini der Pu says "Gut Morgn, and Kristofer Robin replies "Gut-yor, Vini dur Pu" But when Vini der Pu is a narisher alter Ber, and visits Kinigls (rabbit) and is a frayer and ferklempt and everyone must try to pull him out of the hole, the Yiddish is a tad harder. For example, "hot er ongekhapt Puen far di federshte lapes un kinigl hot ongekhapt Kristofer, un Kinigls, un Kinigls ale khaveyrim, un kroyvim hobn ongekhapt Kiniglem, un ale tsuzamen hobn zey getsoygn..." Translated by Leonard Wolf of NYU (Adjunct) and SFSU (Emeritus).
|