A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, Now

Project GutenbergProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 4.2
Word count
986K words
Chapters
99

Tags

English Originals Folk Literature Legendary LivesAdventure JourneyNarrative TechniqueFantasy ElementsFolktalesTranslated LiteratureOriental ImaginationEclectic ReadingExotic CultureFolk Customs

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, NowAuthor: ,Language: English, Class: PJ: Language and Literatures: Oriental languages and literatures, Release Date: Feb 28, 2017

Editor's review

This is an English literal translation of the Arabian Nights, released by Project Gutenberg as a free eBook. As a "plain and literal" rendering, it stays closer to the original wording, retaining much of the texture and language of the Eastern narrative, and reads differently from heavily polished popular translations. The book contains the classic frame story and its nested tales, with rich motifs involving merchants, jinn, voyages, and courts, making it an important entry point for understanding the Arab storytelling tradition. For comparative literature, translation studies, and folklore enthusiasts, this edition offers a sample for observing how translation choices shape the reading experience. The electronic edition is easy to search and compare, suitable as course reference or casual reading, but the language is relatively plain, and readers seeking smooth storytelling may need to adjust.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. It is not necessary to read from cover to cover; choose stories of interest and read them in sections
  2. Notice how the frame narrative links the stories and appreciate the nested structure
  3. Read alongside a polished translation to observe differences between literal and free translation
  4. Keep a notebook of recurring motifs and character types to grasp the whole

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

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FAQ

How is this edition different from common translations of the Arabian Nights? This edition advertises itself as a "plain and literal" translation, staying closer to the original wording with relatively plain language and retaining more of the original's features; common popular translations are often polished and read more smoothly. The two can be read in comparison to appreciate differences in translation strategy.
Does the book include Chinese notes or an introduction? According to available information, this eBook is an English literal text, with no indication of Chinese notes or an introduction. For background knowledge and annotation, it is advisable to read alongside relevant research materials or other annotated editions.
Is it suitable for children? The original text of the Arabian Nights contains some material unsuitable for young children, and this edition is an English literal translation with plain language. For children, choose an adapted children's edition and have an adult screen the stories first.

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About the author

Project Gutenberg Author

Project Gutenberg is not a single author but a nonprofit digital library founded by Michael Hart in 1971 and one of the world's earliest free ebook platforms. It relies on volunteers to digitize, proofread, and freely distribute public-domain works and is now operated by the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Its collection contains 2,692 works, mainly religious texts, epics, and story collections, including the King James Bible and the Douay-Rheims volumes, the epic Mahabharata, a literal translation of the Arabian Nights, and Danish editions of the Old and New Testaments. Public information is limited, and its nature is closer to a public-interest compiling and dissemination body; these texts are open to the public, easy to consult and circulate, and have had a profound influence on the spread of ebooks and the preservation of public-domain resources.