I Sold My Soul in Italy and Germany July 18, 2008

I Sold My Soul in Italy and Germany

By Guest Contributor
July 18, 2008

You know what would make a wonderful present for your German and Italian friends?

A copy of I Sold My Soul on eBay in their languages!

In Germany, Biete Seele – suche Gott: Was ein Atheist in christlichen Gemeinden erlebte:

getmmoasp.jpg

In Italy, Ho venduto l’anima su e-bay:

8860733766.png

In fact, buy them multiple copies.

(Beats the heck out of me what those pages say…)


[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

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  • Ron in Houston

    My German is poor but I can say that’s an interesting way they put it.

    I wonder why it doesn’t mention eBay? Are they not big in Germany?

  • Polly

    Italian: “I have sold the soul on E-Bay.”

    German: “I offer soul, I search [for] God!”
    “What one atheist in Christendom (loose translation) experienced”

    @Hemant,

    Do you know if your book is available in Russian?

  • The German title translates to “Offering soul – looking for god. What an atheist experienced in christian communities”. And eBay is big here – big enough, apparently, that they just write the first 2 words in the eBay logo style and expect people to know the reference. 🙂

  • Ngeli

    I have no clue why they don’t mention ebay, they are very big even here, but I suspect it’s because either of the rather strange trademark law or because they think religious topics appeal more to the elderly, who don’t use ebay that much.

    The title says BTW: Offering soul, searching God: What an atheist experienced in Christian communities.

  • Do you know if your book is available in Russian?

    It’s not available in Russian. It’s supposed to be available in Korean, but I couldn’t find it online…

  • I like tea

    Well the one review on Amazon.de is five stars, so I guess somebody over there likes it. 😀

  • Polly

    It’s not available in Russian. It’s supposed to be available in Korean, but I couldn’t find it online…

    Too bad. It would make a nice addition to my Russian library.

    While I can sound out the Korean, I wouldn’t understand the meaning of the words. But, I can think of a few people I could gift it to, who I otherwise wouldn’t give “Atheist literature.”

    (I should have translated “ein” as “an” not “one.” I defer to the Germans on this site as to the verbs being gerunds and not 1st person conjugations.)

  • ilaria longo

    hi, as an italian native I can tell you that it meansç

    °I sold the soul on e-bay (it it does not says “my sould” but in italian it’s pretty clear that it refers to oneself’ soul)
    Religion in the eyes of an atheist”

    D**n Vatican country, they want to make it clear from the cover that it’s about godless stuff…

  • Well Ilaria, you forgot to mention that the bottom line states
    Foreword by Camillo Ruini and Joseph Ratzinger.

  • Ron in Houston

    Paolo

    Seriously, no kidding? You mean that Hemant has been commented on by the Pope????

    Wow.

  • Any way I can find it in spanish yet?

    BTW… did you get a paper copy, or how did you read the last line? O_O

  • Mriana

    Congrats, Hemant! As a writer, you made it to the big leagues with your book in multiple languages. 😀

  • nacky

    Another title to add to the long list of crappy and/or misleading German translations of titles. The eBay reference is obvious to most from the lettering as mentioned above, the title itself is couched in trading terminology. Offering soul, seeking God: Have soul, need God, or whatever your local trading lingo is. The title makes it seem as if you were actively seeking God.

    “What an atheist experienced in Christian communities (or parishes).” is not quite the same as “Viewing faith through an atheist’s eyes.” The latter is more active.

    In any case my favorite rotten title translation is for the movie “Mr. Ricco”, which ended up as “Ein toter Hund frisst kein Beefsteak” or “A dead dog doesn’t eat any beefsteak.” Let’s not forget the movie “Stripes” which became “Ich glaub’ mich knutscht ein Elch” or “I think a Moose is kissing me”- which is an expression of surprise.

  • Flavio

    What’s wrong with the Italian edition of the book? The cover just seems a translation of the original to me… a part from Ratzinger’s foreword of course 😉

  • You know a book has been successful when it’s been published in multiple languages. Congratulations!