Why Change Names? On the Translation of Children’s Books

Translation of a literary work is never an automatic process but always poses many problems caused by the differences between two linguistic and cultural systems. The difficulty seems to be enhanced if the work to be translated is for children who have little knowledge about the culture from which the text originates. At least, that must be the idea behind the practice of replacing ‘foreign’ names with familiar ones, a practice still common in English and German translations. The present argument is that this change not only shows a lack of respect toward other cultures but also deprives child readers of the chance to realize the wealth of cultural diversity that surrounds them.