And there was much rejoicing. Anyway, I'm inclined to agree with Matt on this one. I wasn't suggesting that if a title has multiple translations that we should only accept one - and it is certainly up to the moderator. I've seen people get jobbed on the Three Kingdoms question too because the moderator was being very literal. It happens. <<Common sense pretty well works: standard US and original title. Under this theory, accepting a random translation for "No Exit" is silly, since it is common knowledge in the QB community that "No Exit" is what the play is normally called in the US.>> My point exactly. While answering "Behind Closed Doors" or whatever it was for this question may demonstrate some knowledge, I've never seen this translated into English that way, and it's somewhat unreasonable to expect the question writer to have taken "Huis Clos" and figured out all possible translations; ditto for the moderator, if the writer hasn't done this, to know that that's a viable translation. As for your Harry Potter example, Dave, it sort of misses my point, which was that any title under which the work has been published should be accepted. If there are several reasonably common translations, these should all be noted. In the examples of "No Exit" and "The War and the Peace," I don't think this is the case, therefore I don't think it's too unreasonable to expect to hear the standard English title. <<a literal translation of "Huis clos" also demonstrates clear and unambiguous knowledge of the answer. This may be particularly so if one has reason to believe that the question is describing a foreign-language original, rather than a translation.>> If the question is describing the original book, shouldn't the title be given in its original language? The fact is we could argue this one forever. I'm probably inclined to be a little less lenient; you guys are inclined to be more; that's perfectly fine. Also understand that I'm not a total jerk - in cases where the difference in translation is a simple switch of possessive order or something (e.g. the earlier Bulgakov example) I'd be pretty likely to take it, and for that matter if someone said "The War and the Peace" I suppose I might prompt, although there's no way you're talking me into accepting that one as is. And with that (and feel free to burn me to a crisp in absentia), I depart to play some CBI. Flax NUQB
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