if a genie granted a wish

if a genie granted you one wish to master one foreign language, for the express purpose of reading one book, in its native language, what language would that be and for what book and author -- and why?

i'd opt for german in order to read franz kafka's metamorphosis, the reason being that i studied german for two years in college and i would hate to see it all go for naught.

I'd opt for German to read Mein Kampf.

I'd opt for Icelandic so that I could read the old sagas in their native tongue (and also 'cuz I happen to have this heritage and am cursed at being inept in my progress in said language...) ;)

I too would like to master german. I've been studying it for the last five years to achieve that purpose. Like you, chasestalling, I'd really like to read The Metamorphosis; apart from that, Goethe's Faust.

i've read something by goethe, kandaurov, his most famous poem which is actually a thinly veiled threat.

i guess there's something about german that brings out the aggressive side of our nature.

I can't decide...it would either be Ancient Greek or Russian. Ancient Greek to read Plato's Dialogues. Russian to read the works of Pushkin and those after him.

I would want to read Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin the way it's meant to me read: in russian

Russian. No doubt. I can't choose just one author (let alone one book) but I would love to read Dostoevsky and Nabokov's Russian novels in their native tongue. And while I haven't read much Pushkin, Gogol, or Tolstoy in English, I'd give them a go in Russian if I had the chance.

I think I'll have to choose between German, Spanish and Russian.lol
I'd go for Russian, I'd LOVE to read some of Chekhov's or Tolstoy's works in Russian :D

well since the parameters have been stretched a bit, i'll take the liberty myself.
i'd like to master french to read chateaubriand's autobiography.

Japanese: then I could read manga in its original language *sights* or Russian because it's a beautiful language.

German for Faust or perhaps a work by Nietzsche if I had to pick JUST one.

A second choice would be ancient Greek.

I wouldn't mind figuring out ancient Runes to read Germanic fariytales and poems...

Japanese. For I'm Chinese, but I want to know Japan and their culture and want to know how comes the contradiction between the Chinese and Japanese. I just have started my Japanese learning for one week. :> Just from their animation and comics I find that they are really a strange nation for their spirits expressed in their works.
PS: A question: Do you like Japanese animation?

Urdu. For reading all the works by Mirza Ghalib.

I would have to Japanese most definitely, I really enjoy books by Koji Suzuki. And I have a feeling that sometimes you lose what the author was trying to get across through translation.

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Originally Posted by Madhuri

Urdu. For reading all the works by Mirza Ghalib.

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Heh I like some of his ashaars. :)

My favourite is:

Har baat pe kehte ho tum keh tu kiya hai
Khud hi batao yeh andaaz-e-guftagoo kiya hai

A very lose translation:

On whatever I say, you ask me what I am
Now tell me what kind of manner of speech it is

Some of his ghazals are also very good. :)

You shall learn Urdu! There are some other good authors too! :D

i'm nuts for naruto, missjane

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Originally Posted by missjane

PS: A question: Do you like Japanese animation?

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I do. I do wonder thought, what are the main differences between Japanese and Chinese language (I'm trying to learn japanese.)

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Originally Posted by chasestalling

i'm nuts for naruto, missjane

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Naruto? Love!!! I own half the manga. Bleach is awesome as well!

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Originally Posted by chasestalling

if a genie granted you one wish to master one foreign language, for the express purpose of reading one book, in its native language, what language would that be and for what book and author -- and why?

i'd opt for german in order to read franz kafka's metamorphosis, the reason being that i studied german for two years in college and i would hate to see it all go for naught.

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I would have opted for Dante to read his book

Ancient Greek to read Homer's works.

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Originally Posted by hedbanger

I'd opt for German to read Mein Kampf.

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in that case it's probably a good thing you don't know German

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Originally Posted by chasestalling

i've read something by goethe, kandaurov, his most famous poem which is actually a thinly veiled threat.

i guess there's something about german that brings out the aggressive side of our nature.

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:lol: trust me, even though our language may sound harsh to foreign learners we're the most pacifist, coward, homebodies in the world

sleepywitch: if you would indulge me...i was recently informed that it's no longer wie geht's du but wie geht's dir. how did this happen, and why and when???

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Originally Posted by chasestalling

sleepywitch: if you would indulge me...i was recently informed that it's no longer wie geht's du but wie geht's dir. how did this happen, and why and when???

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oh? do you mean "how are you?" it's always been "wie geht's dir?" as far as I know! there is "wie heisst du?" but that means "what's your name?"

Japanese, to read haikus and manga :) I'm going to start learning Japanese...:thumbs_up

sleepywitch: many thanks