The Little Prince

The Little Prince was in written in 1943 by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Naturally, the original was written in French, but was also translated to English. Both versions contain all of Saint-Exupery's original watercolor illustrations.

There is also an online version of the book in English for those who want to read it.

As with any translation, different languages use different constructions and sometimes non-literal translations of words to convey the same essential meaning. Most often however, the differences in word choice are distinct enough for interpretation to vary. In chapter 8 for example, the Little Prince's rose asks him for  a screen to shield her from the wind.

In English: "The screen?"

"I was just going to look for it when you spoke to me..."

In French: "Ce paravent?..."
"J'allais le chercher mais vous me parliez!"

There is a clear difference in tone. The English version paints a picture of an agitated rose, and an awkwardly apologetic prince. The French version has these roles flipped. This is evident with the punctuation. The ... at the end of a phrase shows that the speaker has not physically said all the want to say, there is a certain lack of closure to the speaker's thoughts. Often it shows that the speaker is uncomfortable. In the English version, the prince appears off-guard, and even slightly defensive because of the ... . The same sentence without reads "I was just going to look for it when you spoke to me.". This has a much more definitive tone, more so as if stating a fact. The ... makes the prince seem apologetic.

The French rose's ... has a very similar effect, it shows her discomfort at lack of a screen. Here however, the prince's response is much more agitated. There is even an exclamation point, which moves the tone from simply fact-stating to a more emotional outburst. The french version also uses the word but (in french: mais)  to replace the English "when". If translated directly, the English version would have said "I was looking for it but you spoke to me!" This sentence does a better job of conveying the prince's disdain for the rose's vanity, which makes for a stronger case for him leaving her in the next chapter.

It is the details that make all the difference. The seemingly irrelevant details that readers rarely consciously notice have a profound effect on interpretation.