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BreakingNews.ie
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit translated into Gaelic for first time
One of the world's best-selling books has been translated into Gaelic. Moray Watson, a professor of Gaelic and translation at the University of Aberdeen, began working on a Gaelic draft of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit prior to the first Covid-19 lockdown. Advertisement After a number of delays and fitting the project around his teaching commitments, Prof Watson has revealed he has now completed A'Hobat. After several phases of editing, the book is now available to order, complete with an afterword explaining some of his creative decisions throughout the novel. The translation is supported by the Gaelic Books Council and it is the latest in a list of languages the classic has been translated into, including Hawaiian, Esperanto, Breton and Yiddish. Prof Watson is director of Ionad Eeghainn MhicLachlainn: the National Centre for Gaelic Translation (NCGT), which exists specifically to support the translation of literature into Gaelic, as well as Manx and Irish. Advertisement He said: 'Enjoyment of reading is of tremendous importance on many levels when it comes to the esteem and status of a language. 'Being able to select from a wide range of engaging texts is also extremely important when learning a language or when making the decision to dig in and make that long, sustained extra effort necessary to go from competence in a language to mastery. 'I've read the book in at least nine languages so far. Whenever I learn a new language now, I always check to see if there is a translation of The Hobbit. If there is, I buy it. That way, I can read a novel early on in the learning process, because I already know the story very well at this point. 'Every single time I read it, in every single language, I get to experience the deep, rich joy of discovering Tolkien's world. Advertisement 'It's no wonder people fell in love with this book, and continue to do so nearly 90 years after it was first published. 'I'm very lucky to have had the chance to work with it and I hope that people enjoy it.' In addition to The Hobbit translation, the NCGT is supporting a book co-edited by Prof Watson which features a set of essays from translators and scholars on various aspects of the translation process. Prof Watson is also completing a Gaelic translation of HG Wells's The Time Machine, which includes an academic essay on how elements of translation theory can help the translator work through some of the trickier parts of a text. Advertisement The first appearance of Sherlock Holmes in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet is next on the list to be translated to Gaelic, and Prof Watson is hunting for interesting novels in French, German or Spanish that have never been translated to English to further expand Gaelic reading lists.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
First Scottish Gaelic translation of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit
The first Scottish Gaelic translation of JRR Tolkien's fantasy adventure The Hobbit has been completed by a professor at the University of Watson, a professor of Gaelic and translation - and a lifelong Tolkien fan - started work on A' Hobat before the start of the Covid translation was supported by the Gaelic Books book was first published in the 1930s and was later adapted for a series of films by director Peter Jackson. It follows the adventure of Bilbo Baggins, who is invited to join a dangerous quest led by a wizard and a group of dwarves. Prof Watson's translation has been published following several said: "I've read the book in at least nine languages so far. "Whenever I learn a new language now, I always check to see if there is a translation of The Hobbit." He added: "Every single time I read it, in every single language, I get to experience the deep, rich joy of discovering Tolkien's world."The academic said it was a privilege to "delve deeply" into story's original maps, runes and illustrations when he was triple checking translations before Watson said: "It's no wonder people fell in love with this book, and continue to do so nearly 90 years after it was first published."I'm very lucky to have had the chance to work with it and I hope that people enjoy it."The professor is now working on a Gaelic translation of HG Wells' adventure story The Time Glasgow-based Gaelic Books Council has previously published translations of George Orwell's Animal Farm and stories by Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin.
The Herald Scotland
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
A' Hobat: Professor translates The Hobbit into Gaelic
Now, after many phases of editing, the book is available to order, complete with an afterword explaining why Professor Watson alighted on the word hobat to translate 'hobbit' and why it has a' and not the more 'expected' an. 'Enjoyment of reading is of tremendous importance on many levels when it comes to the esteem and status of a language,' he said. 'Being able to select from a wide range of engaging texts is also extremely important when learning a language or when making the decision to dig in and make that long, sustained extra effort necessary to go from competence in a language to mastery. 'I've read the book in at least nine languages so far. Whenever I learn a new language now, I always check to see if there is a translation of The Hobbit. If there is, I buy it. "That way, I can read a novel early on in the learning process, because I already know the story very well at this point. 'Every single time I read it, in every single language, I get to experience the deep, rich joy of discovering Tolkien's world.' Photograph of Prof. J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Pictured in Oxford, 1972 (Image: NQ) The Gaelic translation, supported by the Gaelic Books Council, joins a growing list of languages allowing new engagement with the classic story the world over, including Hawaiian, Esperanto, Breton and Yiddish. Professor Watson is Director of Ionad Eòghainn MhicLachlainn: the National Centre for Gaelic Translation, which exists specifically to support the translation of literature into Gaelic. He also teaches on the MSc in Translation at the University of Aberdeen, which is currently the only institution worldwide which offers a translation degree in Gaelic to that level. READ MORE: The book includes all the drawings by the author and Professor Watson says it was a pleasure and privilege to delve deeply into the maps, runes and illustrations when triple-checking translations before publication. 'It's no wonder people fell in love with this book, and continue to do so nearly 90 years after it was first published,' he added. 'I'm very lucky to have had the chance to work with it and I hope that people enjoy it.' Professor Watson is also completing a Gaelic translation of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, which includes an academic essay on how elements of translation theory can help the translator work through some of the trickier parts of a text.
The National
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
First Scottish Gaelic translation of The Hobbit published
Moray Watson, Professor of Gaelic and Translation and a lifelong Tolkien fan, began working on a Gaelic version titled A' Hobat prior to the Covid lockdowns. Delays from this and fitting the project around his teaching commitments meant that arriving at a final version took much longer than expected. Now, after many phases of editing, the book is available to order, complete with an afterword explaining why Watson alighted on the word hobat to translate "hobbit" and why it has a' and not the more "expected" an. READ MORE: Scottish castle on sale again amid 'transphobia' row with community group The Gaelic translation, supported by the Gaelic Books Council, joins a growing list of languages allowing new engagement with the classic story the world over, including Hawaiian, Esperanto, Breton and Yiddish. Professor Watson is director of Ionad Eòghainn MhicLachlainn: the National Centre for Gaelic Translation, which exists specifically to support the translation of literature into Gaelic (as well as Manx and Irish). In addition to The Hobbit translation, the Centre is supporting a book co-edited by Watson which features a set of essays from translators and scholars on various aspects of the translation process. 'Enjoyment of reading is of tremendous importance on many levels when it comes to the esteem and status of a language,' he said. 'Being able to select from a wide range of engaging texts is also extremely important when learning a language or when making the decision to dig in and make that long, sustained extra effort necessary to go from competence in a language to mastery. 'I've read the book in at least nine languages so far. Whenever I learn a new language now, I always check to see if there is a translation of The Hobbit. If there is, I buy it. That way, I can read a novel early on in the learning process, because I already know the story very well at this point. 'Every single time I read it, in every single language, I get to experience the deep, rich joy of discovering Tolkien's world.' The book includes all the drawings by the author and Professor Watson says it was a pleasure and privilege to delve deeply into the maps, runes and illustrations when triple-checking translations before publication. 'It's no wonder people fell in love with this book, and continue to do so nearly 90 years after it was first published,' he added. 'I'm very lucky to have had the chance to work with it and I hope that people enjoy it.' READ MORE: 'You just have to look about you': Album charts tale of Gaelic in central Scotland Watson is also completing a Gaelic translation of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, which includes an academic essay on how elements of translation theory can help the translator work through some of the trickier parts of a text. The first appearance of Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet is next on the list to be translated to Gaelic and Professor Watson is hunting for interesting novels in French, German or Spanish that have never been translated to English to further expand Gaelic reading lists. Watson teaches on the MSc in Translation, which is available online and on campus and makes the University of Aberdeen the only institution in the world that offers a Gaelic translation degree at this level.
