When Freakonomics gets published in a new language, they always send me a couple copies. I just got the Serbian version:
The first thing I noticed is that it is a pretty sad looking apple/orange on the cover.
The second thing I noticed is that it was written by Stiven D. Levit and Stiven Dz. Dabner. Isn’t it strange to change the names of the authors? I can see if you are using a different alphabet you might not have a choice, but would it be normal to take the second “t” off my last name, or to turn “Dubner” into “Dabner?”
Seeing this, I wondered what they would do with the popular names listed in the last chapter. In most of the foreign versions, they simply reprint the American names. (I wonder how much the Korean and Chinese readers got out of this chapter?). But not in the Serbian version.
If you were a Serbian reader, you would be left believing that some of the blackest names in America are Sanis and Precis, and some of the whitest are Dzejk and Hanter. And our predictions for the most popular American names in 2015: Vejverli, Kejt, Aser, and Vil.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
Don’t blame me, I voted for Vejverli!
Don’t blame me, I voted for Vejverli!
It’s common in Eastern Europe to print foreign names using their prounciation. Hence I grew up learning about Waszyngton located in Wirginia named after Jerzy Waszyngton.
The downside: bad spelling.
The upside: proper pronounciation.
The ugly side: first names are often translated into their local equivalents(Jerzy = George).
It’s common in Eastern Europe to print foreign names using their prounciation. Hence I grew up learning about Waszyngton located in Wirginia named after Jerzy Waszyngton.
The downside: bad spelling.
The upside: proper pronounciation.
The ugly side: first names are often translated into their local equivalents(Jerzy = George).
Serbian uses the Latin alphabet, but is a Slavic language. Dubner would be read as Doobnaer. Double Ts are not something common in Slavic languages.
Serbian uses the Latin alphabet, but is a Slavic language. Dubner would be read as Doobnaer. Double Ts are not something common in Slavic languages.
In korean version of the book, they listed in english. There wasn’t any problems
In korean version of the book, they listed in english. There wasn’t any problems