# devoradores de novelas



## Se me agotaron las ideas

Good morning. Can anybody help me witn this metaphore?


The context: Un momento para disfrutar de la lectura y compartirtus textos y autores favoritos con más devoradores de novelas, poesías, ensayosy ficciones.  

My try: A moment to enjoy reading and share your texts andauthors with more "devorators" of novels, poems, essays and fictions. 

Thank you


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## GemmaGoldstein

Devorador de libros = bookworm quizás,pero no del todo...bookworm sería más "ratón de biblioteca"

¿Tienes que mantener la metáfora? A lo mejor puedes cambiarla y poner algo de "People passionate about X"


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## gregohp

Hola:

¿"eager reader" te vale?

Saludos,

Grego.


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## grubble

...devotees


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## mijoch

"avid readers"

M.


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## St. Nick

_'Insatiable bibliophiles.'_


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## GemmaGoldstein

St. Nick said:


> _'Insatiable bibliophiles.'_



XDD that sounds....emmhhh...how to put it without being too abrupt...?


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## grubble

> con más devoradores de novelas



I think that you could translate  más as _fellow
_

...with fellow (_devoradores) _of novels...


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## macame

Devourers?


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## mijoch

Grubble--------it's wanted in English.

Have you never ever in your life heard the very common English phrase "avid reader"?

"Insatiable bibiophiles"-----------this forum is getting ridiculous.

M.


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## grubble

mijoch said:


> Grubble--------it's wanted in English.


Okay, so I was off-topic. I was offering an alternative translation of  "más", I admit it.

Yes "avid readers" is very commonly used.


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## gregohp

I think the "más --> fellow" suggestion was a good one, even if the post was about "devoradores" 




grubble said:


> Okay, so I was off-topic. I was offering an alternative translation of  "más", I admit it.
> 
> Yes "avid readers" is very commonly used.


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## Se me agotaron las ideas

Thank you very much to everyone for your suggestions. I'll keep "avid readers". Tha's what I need.


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## jasminasul

Even if you´ve got a translation, I´ll give my opinion  I think "avid readers" is a slightly different register. Perhaps "gobblers of novels,...".


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## St. Nick

I'm still partial to 'insatiably voracious bibliophiles' .  I like "avid readers," I mean, it works and all that, but as a translation of "devoradores," it's a little watered-down, kind of pablumized.


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## Se me agotaron las ideas

I understand what you mean but I still think I'll keep "avid readers". It suits me.
Thanks anyway!


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## k-in-sc

An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and share your favorite *reads* and authors with* other* *lovers *of novels, poems, essays and short fiction. 
A "moment" is a very short time, even just a few seconds.
A "text" is either a textbook or a manuscript to be edited or studied academically, not something you read for pleasure.
"Fiction" is singular. You already said "novels," so "short fiction" is what's left.


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## Se me agotaron las ideas

Well that is great!!! Just what I needed. I totally agree. Thanks a lot.


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## k-in-sc

But "avid readers" is fine, although then you would have three variants of "read" in the same sentence.


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## St. Nick

Yes, "advid readers" is fine. It goes a long way in capturing the excitement described by the writer. 

Although, future visitors to this thread might find it boring.


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## gengo

k-in-sc said:


> An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and share your favorite *reads* and authors with* other* *lovers *of novels, poems, essays and short fiction.



I agree with that translation, and in fact was going to propose something nearly identical, but want to point out to the OP that "reads" is rather colloquial.  If that is OK in the context, no problem, but otherwise I would change it to "books."


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## k-in-sc

"Books" would work fine and would sound better with "avid readers."


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## jasminasul

The OP may have his or her own reasons to choose a translation over another, but normally, a translator´s job is to reproduce the meaning and register of the original, not to write something witty, however brilliant it may be, or just "commonly used". The author did not say "bibliófilos insaciables", "lectores ávidos" or "amantes de la lectura", so in my opinion the translations offered here are not correct.


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## k-in-sc

They'll have to do, though. "Devourers of books" would sound too odd.


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## gengo

jasminasul said:


> The OP may have his or her own reasons to choose a translation over another, but normally, a translator´s job is to reproduce the meaning and register of the original, not to write something witty, however brilliant it may be, or just "commonly used". The author did not say "bibliófilos insaciables", "lectores ávidos" or "amantes de la lectura", so in my opinion the translations offered here are not correct.



Point taken, but what is your suggestion?  Devourers doesn't sound good to my ear.  Perhaps voracious readers?

I still like a version of K's translation.


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## k-in-sc

Voracious readers


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## Se me agotaron las ideas

I have to translate monthly a Leisure Guide where I can allow my self to have my own style. On the other hand, in my opinion I shoul not translate the expression literally. As k-in-sc says, it sound too odd. 

I already took my choice. However thanks everyone for your comments.


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## jasminasul

gengo said:


> Point taken, but what is your suggestion? Devourers doesn't sound good to my ear. Perhaps voracious readers?
> 
> I still like a version of K's translation.


I´ve already offered "gobblers of novels,...", and "book gobblers" also gets lots of hits.


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## Se me agotaron las ideas

An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and share your favorite *books* and authors with* other* voracious readersof novels, poems, essays and short fiction


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## Roberto097

mijoch said:


> "avid readers"
> 
> M.


this one also came to mind....


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## gengo

Se me agotaron las ideas said:


> An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and share your favorite *books* and authors with* other* voracious readers of novels, poems, essays and short fiction



Looks good to me!


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## deuruguay

I've also heard "book eater" (as for the movie "sin eater")  If you google the expression you may find lots of entries.
Hope it helps


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## k-in-sc

"Book eater"? Um, thanks but no thanks


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## mijoch

Mentioning register-----be careful with "gobbler" in BE.

M.


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## k-in-sc

Does it mean a turkey?


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## St. Nick

k-in-sc said:


> Voracious readers


Yea, I already suggested "voracious" eleven posts back.  And, seeing how _'ávido lector,'_ an expression common to both English and Spanish, wasn't chosen by the actual author of the sentence ....


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## mijoch

Hi kincs

It's something to do with "fellatio", but I don't know what that is. 

M.


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## gregohp

Yes, I think that that the post author has had many, many options to choose from... I still don't know why he didn't like "eager reader" (it even has a rhyme!  )...


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## jasminasul

Perhaps the problem is not so much the connotations of gobbler in British English as having a male mind  (Kinx lol). I think the author of "The Golden Compass" is British, and nobody thought it was inappropriate for a young audience.


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## mijoch

In the same way that some Americans are not aware of the connotations of "gobble" as indeed I am not.

What does "turkey" (kincs/woof/lol) mean?

Your ever seeker of truth 

M.

Perhaps the author of "The Golden Compass" is another Britisher as innocent as I.


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## grubble

(sigh!)
_book gobblers, devourers and eaters_ all sound weird (and somewhat unpleasant) in English.

Gengo's _voracious readers_ is the obvious best solution and gets my vote.


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## mijoch

Hi grubble

I agree. Do you know a meaning for "turkey" that's got something to do with the male mind (lol)? I'm really intrigued.

M.


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## jasminasul

Trying not to go off-topic: weird (unusual collocation?), unpleasant (ominous?) and sexual, they are all present in "devorador". In fact I got a PM about this thread from a male forero with the title "devoradora". 
I would go for "voracious readers" (if indeed I dared translate out of my native language) if the word gobbler didn´t exist.


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## grubble

jasminasul said:


> Trying not to go off-topic: weird (unusual collocation?), unpleasant (ominous?) and sexual, they are all present in "devorador". In fact I got a PM about this thread from a male forero with the title "devoradora".
> I would go for "voracious readers" (if indeed I dared translate out of my native language) if the word gobbler didn´t exist.


Oh dear, I hate it when threads get like this.


Jasminasul - I am not sure if you are criticising my use of English. If so then I can assure that I used the terms "weird" and "unpleasant" in a perfectly normal way. If you wish to start a new thread on either word I would be happy to justify it.

As for sexual, I wasn't addressing sex at all.  I'm simply saying phrases such as "an eater of books" sound odd to my ears. The phrases simply conjure up an unattractive image of someone chewing cardboard and paper.


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## mijoch

Hi jasminasul

"If the word gobbler didn't exist"-------does that suggest that you would really use a word which in common slang means "cocksucker". I don't care what some author wrote. I know the connotation that I and many million BE speakers would give to that word. By BE speakers, I mean both ladies and gentlemen.

I post this this to warn about the use of "gobble". There was a tea-making machine in the UK. "Goblin Teasmaid". The joke about it making a cup of tea and sucking you off at the same time, became universal.

I'm sure you'll do what you will.

M.


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## k-in-sc

Haha, you were the one who brought up "gobbler." A "turkey" is a lame person or a dud. That would describe lots of guys.
Anyway, the only eating-related term that works here is "voracious," as I'm sure we can all agree.


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## jasminasul

I have never used or heard "devorador de libros", nor is it elegant, eloquent, high-brow or particularly well-sounding Spanish. 
As I said, I don´t translate into English -at least not for money- so it doesn´t really matter, but if you guys were to translate "El Quijote" you´d be doing Cervantes a great injustice Each word chosen by an author strikes a chord in the reader´s mind, just like music does, and a good translator must try to echo this.
The other thing that baffles me is the sexual connotation argument. Most words have various, sometimes undesirable, connotations, so should we stop using all of them? How would you translate "ahogar el pollo" then? Should we stop using "verga" altogether?
Also, "I don´t care what some author wrote" is not a very intelligent argument either.
Finally (uf) when any of us gets bored with a thread, we just don´t post.
School for Heroes books  www.jackiefrench.com/heroes.html - Often it's the big books – the entrancing ones that kids don't want to stop reading – that really turn a reluctant reader into a *book guzzler*.

Book Glutton? Who, me? » BiblioAddict  www.whosabiblioaddict.com/?p=629 -16 May 2009 – Okay, well prepare yourselves cause this is going to be a shocker: I am an insane *book glutton*!!!


A Walking Thesaurus | Musings of a Live-In Girlfriend   -shinypigeon.wordpress.com/2011/01/.../a-walking-thesauru... - 19 Jan 2011 – My mother, a librarian and avid *book gorger*, fed me books from a young age. I could read before I went to school, much to their annoyance.


Blogger: User Profile: The Book Gobbler  www.blogger.com/profile/01699744251327392361 - En caché
About Me. I'm a *book gobbler* and a word muncher, a tale teller and a story dweller, a pen wielder and an ink eater, a bona fide dream dealer.


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## mijoch

Hi kincs---------not true------see post #14 jas.

Hi jas

Of course all words can be used-----swear words, double meanings, the lot. But I as a non-native am very, very careful with, verga, polla, gilipollas, chupapollas, calientahuevos, etc. etc.

It is important to know when and how to us such words. It is extremely unlikely for a non-native to be able to attain the depth of feeling needed. The worst possible are authors. There are prestigious ones who use "fuck" in their work. I do not advise a non-native to copy an author and stroll around the UK saying "fuck" to all and sundry.

Yes----"gobbler" has standard and slang use. Can you as a non-native know what reaction you might get if you slide into a book-shop in London and announce "I like gobbling books." For this type of language it is not very intelligent to depend on a few authors. Listen to the people. I'm people, and I've given you my feeling on "gobbler". I know you won't heed my warning. If you can't learn from a native educated to degree level-------your problem.

M.


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## mijoch

"voracious readers" is excellent--------but "obvious best solution"----to whom?

Google hits.

"voracious readers"-----194,000

"avid readers"-----1,430,000

Yeah, yeah, I know google hits don't offer much guarantee, but the difference here is notable.

M.


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## grubble

mijoch said:


> "voracious readers" is excellent--------but "obvious best solution"----to whom?


To meem, that's whom!


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## mijoch

That's better---------is my "whom" wrong?---Probably, but I've got company. "to whom it may concern"-----4,890,000

M.


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## juandiego

jasminasul said:


> *I have never *used or* heard "devorador de libros"*, nor is it elegant, eloquent, high-brow or particularly well-sounding Spanish.


  Hola jasminasul.
 That's quite odd if you ask me. I daresay collocations as *devorador de libros* and *lector voraz* have become almost a standard to name them in literary circles.

Now I see that _novels eater_ has been mostly dismissed as a proper option, which was what first came to my mind because of that old song by Hall & Oates: _Man eater_, translated into Spanish as _Devoradora de hombres_. A pity.


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## k-in-sc

Well, all those examples jasminasul provided sound horrible, so if you want something that sounds horrible, by all means use one of those. "Guzzle" doesn't even mean "eat," it means "drink"  or at least "pour something down your gullet."
The OP did say she had leeway on style, though. Cervantes it ain't.
I didn't know that "choke the chicken" was the same in Spanish ...


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## grubble

mijoch said:


> That's better---------is my "whom" wrong?---Probably, but I've got company. "to whom it may concern"-----4,890,000
> 
> M.


No complaints about "Whom" I don't often get to answer a question with "whom" in it so I was emphasising the point (with an attempt at humour)


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## k-in-sc

Yes, "to whom" is correct. But "to whomever ate my yogurt out of the fridge on Tuesday" is incorrect.


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## jasminasul

HI Juan Diego. 
There are millions of words and expressions that I have never heard, no surprise there. I don´t like book eater or book devourer. I agree that guzzler doesn´t mean to eat but that´s not the point either, I don´t seek a literal translation: if I could think of an expression that meant “consumer of books”, “book ravener” or "literature glutton" that would get my vote.
I also said in my first post that the OP had already found a suitable translation, but I thought that in this forum we were allowed to have a polite discussion about a word, and delve into its connotations and possible uses.
I accept your saying that “book gobbler” sounds horrible, fair enough, but I also find the modern use of “tía” and “tío” quite horrible and yet millions of Spaniards utter them hundreds of times a day. On the other hand –and I´m saying this in a kind way- the OP translated “crono” as chrono, so I daresay semantic shades will go largely unnoticed in the final version.
Finally the native argument is only partly valid. We all disagree with forum members from our own country on a daily basis, and even grammarians are often split about the use of a word. But I repeat that I accept the “horribility” argument, I have to admit that devorador sounds nicer.


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## maxpapic

How about "book inhalers"?


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## macame

maxpapic said:


> How about "book inhalers"?



A este paso: "book junkie" o "bookaholic"


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## söyööu

Hola a todos.
También estoy buscando la traducción de "devorador de libros".
Contexto: Si su papá es un devorador de libros, un aficionado a la tecnología, un amante de la naturaleza o simplemente le gusta ver la televisión sentado en el sofá, ordene esta semana para reservar su regalo.

Qué les parece "whether your dad is a bookhound"?
Muchas gracias.


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## maxpapic

söyööu said:


> Qué les parece "whether your dad is a bookhound"?



Me parece que un "hound" es un animal que busca y rebusca hasta que encuentra. "Bookworm" encajaría mejor, pienso.


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## gengo

söyööu said:


> También estoy buscando la traducción de "devorador de libros".
> Contexto: Si su papá es un devorador de libros, un aficionado a la tecnología, un amante de la naturaleza o simplemente le gusta ver la televisión sentado en el sofá, ordene esta semana para reservar su regalo.
> 
> Qué les parece "whether your dad is a bookhound"?



In that exact context, I would translate it as follows.

_Whether your dad is crazy about books, a tech fan, a nature lover, or just likes to sit on the couch and watch TV, order this week to reserve your gift.
_
You could replace the underlined part with a number of other options, but this is my choice here.



maxpapic said:


> Me parece que un "hound" es un animal que busca y rebusca hasta que encuentra. "Bookworm" encajaría mejor, pienso.



I agree about the nuance of "hound," but bookworm sounds a bit antiquated to my ear, and when it is used today, it usually has a slightly negative nuance, referring to someone who spends too much time with books and lacks social skills.


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## katlpablo

Se me agotaron las ideas said:


> Un *momento* para disfrutar de la lectura y compartir tus textos y autores favoritos con *más* *devoradores* de novelas, poesías, ensayos y *ficciones*.
> 
> My try:
> A *moment* to enjoy reading and share your texts and authors with *more* "*devorators*" of novels, poems, essays and *fictions*.





k-in-sc said:


> An *opportunity* […] and short fiction.
> A "moment" is a very short time, even just a few seconds.
> […]
> "Fiction" is singular. You already said "novels," so "*short fiction*" is what's left.


My idea:
An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and to share your favorite  texts and authors with *likewise* *voracious consumers* of novels, poems,  essays and *short fiction*.

To me a good solution to the problem in translating "*devoradores*" is  "*voracious consumers* of novels […]". I think that once in its context in  the sentence it's better than "*voracious readers* of novels […]", which  reads pretty lame. "*voracious consumers* (of novels […])", on the other  hand, is closer to the original and much more robust. IMO.


—————————————————————————————————————
—Please correct  my English or Spanish whenever necessary. Thanks—


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## k-in-sc

Unfortunately, "consumers" has a commercial meaning.


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## söyööu

gengo said:


> In that exact context, I would translate it as follows.
> 
> _Whether your dad is crazy about books, a tech fan, a nature lover, or just likes to sit on the couch and watch TV, order this week to reserve your gift.
> _


Gracias pero en el texto despues me aparece 

La guarida del devorador de libros.
Para devoradores de libros: si usted es un bibliófago rabioso...

He preguntado al equipo de traductores y me han dicho que van a utilizar bookhound, y en una ocasion booktard. El texto es parecido a estas paginas y les parece el termino adecuado para toda la traduccion



But these are very minor flaws in what is otherwise a fantastic book by a bookhound for fellow *bookhounds*.
At 2 1/2 years old, our daughter Ilana is already a major *bookhound*. While I love books, I'm not a great reader. I have a hard time sitting still long enough to really get involved. My husband Ori, on the other hand, LOVES to read and relishes his time with books. He will read, watch tv, and listen to music all at once. (Yeah. I know.) My parents and sisters are all avid readers. So I guess I'm not surprised by Ilana's love of the written (and illustrated) world.

We offer our customers searches for a minimal fee. *Bookhounds* has a wide variety of used books as well as some new books.
Free books - For incurable *bookhounds *like myself this can be a huge cost savings considering that most publications run at bare minimum $10 each. And really how many times do you read a book more than once?
Se los agradezco


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## aurilla

Time to enjoy a good read and share your favorite books and authors with other "rabid" fans of novels, fiction, poems, and essays.
.


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## juandiego

söyööu said:


> He preguntado al equipo de traductores y me han dicho que van a utilizar *bookhound*


Hello söyööu .
I can't find _bookhound_ in any dictionary and only has 108,000 hits on Google (mostly commercials), are they that sure is a right choice?


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## sueca1

"with others who eagerly devour novels, poetry, essays, ......"


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## Jim2996

k-in-sc said:


> An *opportunity* to enjoy reading and share your favorite *reads* and authors with* other* *lovers *of novels, poems, essays and short fiction.
> A "moment" is a very short time, even just a few seconds.
> A "text" is either a textbook or a manuscript to be edited or studied academically, not something you read for pleasure.
> "Fiction" is singular. You already said "novels," so "short fiction" is what's left.



This is a great example of good translation.  Instead of going word by word and translating one one after another, he took the meaning and the intent of the complete sentence and expressed it in English.


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## grubble

maxpapic said:


> How about "book inhalers"?


Not so crazy as you might think!

While we are finding odd expressions on the Internet, here's one; "_I’m going to make a confession. I’m an addict. A bibliomaniac. A *book-snorter* of the lowest order. _http://thescrapbag.blogspot.com/2009/02/booking-muhammad.html

I wouldn't however use the expression as advertising copy.


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## k-in-sc

That person is going to end up with a deviated septum 
Jim, K-in-SC is glad you liked her translation


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