Which book has been most translated?

by Target Language Translation Services

- October 01 2021

Many books are translated into several common languages, such as English, French, Spanish and Italian. But some literary works are so successful that they are translated into hundreds of foreign languages and dialects. So which book tops the list of the most translated books in the world? You’d likely get it right: The Bible. This ancient text, together with the Quran, is one of the most translated books in the history of humanity. Translating a text is often the most effective way to promote its circulation and, in this case, to spread a system of beliefs.

Over the centuries, however, things have changed radically: among the texts written more recently, novels clinch the top spot at the most translated book format ever.

Here are some of the most widely translated books ever:

The Holy Bible

The complete Bible with approximately 611,000 words in the original text, is originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It is now available in 704 languages and dialects, according to the latest figures available in 2021, reaching 6.1 billion speakers around the world.

The Little Prince

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a French aristocrat, writer, and aviator, is among the most popular children’s books. It is a story of a pilot stranded in the desert who encounters a little prince who explores planets. “The Little Prince” was originally written in French and has been translated into more than 300 languages, including all of the world’s most common languages, as well as into many rare languages (Quechua; regional dialects of France, Germany and Italy; Aramaic; Berber; ancient Egyptian and many more...).

The Adventures of Pinocchio

The Adventures Pinocchio, the story of the famous puppet who becomes a little boy, was originally wrote in Italian by Carlo Collodi in 1883. It is among the most translated books, which has been translated into approximately 300 languages and has caught the interest of readers worldwide. The novel was the inspiration for several film adaptations, including a new film planned for 2021.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Originally written in English by Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s adventures in Wonderland” has been published in 1865 in English and has been translated into 174 languages, having captivated readers of all age groups. It has been a great source of numerous adaptations. This story allows millions of readers to marvel at the story of Alice and her misadventures in a fantasy world.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Written by Jules Verne in French and published in 1870, this science fiction book has been translated into more than 170 languages. The novel, which captures the story of Captain Nemo and his epic voyage in his submarine, the Nautilus, has been an international success ever since and is undoubtedly one of the most important works of classic literature.

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales

Published in 1837, Anderson’s stories have been a staple for readers and moviegoers. Translated from Danish into 160 languages, this book consists of many famous Fairy tales, to name but a few, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Snow Queen, etc. These stories are not only read by children but have also inspired films, plays, and ballets.

Don Quixote

Originally called El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha, this Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes was first published in 1605. Since then, this highly praised novel has been translated into 145 languages. It is the oldest of the most translated books after the Bible. It has been published in 2 parts, the first one in 1605 and the second in 1615. This story is about a nobleman named Alonso Quixano who loses his mind and decides to become a knight with the name of Don Quixote de la Manca after reading several chivalric Romances.

The Adventures of Tintin

Written by Hergé and published between 1929 and 1976 in French, this book has been translated into over 115 languages to this day. It was later adapted to a comic series that became internationally popular. This Franco-Belgian story is about a hero reporter, Tintin, his faithful dog Snowy, and their mind-blowing adventures in various countries.

The Adventures of Asterix

Another Franco Belgian comic series written by René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo, and Jean-Yves Ferri is translated into 115 languages worldwide since the book’s first publication in 1960. The series is mainly about the Adventures of Gaulish warriors who fought against the Roman Empire during Julius Caesar's period.

Harry Potter

Written by British author J. K. Rowling Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy books. Despite being the newest book on this list, regarded as the best-selling book series in the space of two decades, over 500 million copies of the books have been sold worldwide. They have been translated into eighty languages and have spurred a movie series and its related spinoffs. The story of a boy wizard and his friends fighting against evil defined the last few decades for many, many young readers.

Pippy Longstocking

Written by Astrid Lindgren, this book was originally written in Swedish and has been translated into 76 languages to date. It is one of many children’s books that have been translated a huge number of times.As part of the collection, along with three short stories and some picture books, there are three chapter books that were written from 1945 to 1948. These stories tell the tales of a young girl who engages in regular childhood activities, except her father is a buccaneer, she has superhuman strength, and she also has a pet monkey named Mr. Nilsson.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist is an allegorical novel written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, which was first published in 1988. Translated from Portuguese into several other languages, this book has become one of the most translated and bestselling novels globally. This book tells the story of Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd, in his quest to find a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt after he has recurring dreams about the place.

One of the most important sectors in the translation industry is literary translation because it helps to encourage works of art that will endure for decades, thus forming the cultural structure of the globalized world.

At Target Language Translation, we perfectly understand the importance of producing high-quality book translation services for both the world and the author, which is why we only rely on native translators who love literature as much as we do, whatever the novel’s source language may be. Whether it is your favorite novel or your own published book, get it translated at Target Language Translation. Contact us for more information.

This article is reprinted from Optilingua, GMR Transcription and Eurotrad.

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