10 of the most translated books in the world
13th December 2021
A book is a collection of words, ideas, mindsets and knowledge all in one place. Reading books improves our creativity and imagination; it gives us understanding, consideration, empathy and ability to see the world from another person’s perspective. If you love reading, you’ve probably read books from foreign authors that have been translated into English.
In the UK only 3% of all books published are books in translation. For an author to get a book translated is a pretty big achievement. Only really well-known authors get their books translated into hundreds of languages.
Imagine being an author of one of the most translated books of all time?
1. The Bible
Author: many
Original Language: Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek
Estimated Number of Languages: 704
The most translated book in the world is the Bible. According to Wikipedia, the complete Bible has been translated into 704 languages, the New Testament into 1,551 languages and parts of the Bible have been translated into 1,160 additional languages.
2. The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)
Author: Antoine de Saint Exupéry
Original Language: French
Estimated Number of Languages: 382
The Little Prince is one of children’s favourite books of all time. The simple yet captivating story of a pilot who crashes his plane into the desert, where he meets the little prince who visits various planets in space, including Earth. The story has been charming enough to make this the most translated non-religious book of all time.
3. The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le Avventure di Pinocchio)
Author: Carlo Collodi
Original Language: Italian
Estimated Number of Languages: 240-260
Personally, my favourite book as a child, I still love the story of the marionette who becomes a boy through a series of adventures. This book has inspired a huge number of movie adaptations and has been read by millions.
4. Tao Te Ching
Author: Laozi
Original Language: Chinese
Estimated Number of Languages: 250
A profound book on the study of integrity and self-awareness. In its 81 verses, it delivers a thesis on how to live in the world with goodness and integrity, an important kind of wisdom in a world where many people believe such a thing to be impossible.
5. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Author: Lewis Carroll
Original Language: English
Estimated Number of Languages: 174
This book, first published in 1865, tells the story of the 8-year-old Alice who gets lost and falls through a rabbit hole into a magical world of anthropomorphic creatures.
Interestingly, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was banned in China’s Hunan province by the Governor in 1931. The Censor General believed attribution of animals acting like humans with the same complexity was an “insult”.
6. Steps to Christ
Author: Ellen Gould White
Original Language: English
Estimated Number of Languages: less than 160
Steps to Christ is considered to define salvation, the nature of man and what a Christian life should be. The book discusses how to come to know Jesus Christ at a personal level. It covers the topics of repentance, confession, faith, acceptance, growing into Christ and prayer.
7. El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Don Quixote)
Author: Miguel Cervantes
Original Language: Spanish
Estimated Number of Languages: 145
Don Quixote was published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. Considered one of the greatest works ever written, this book describes the adventures of a noble (hidalgo) from La Mancha named Alonso Quixano. Alonso reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and decides to become a knight-errant to resuscitate chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha.
8. Andersen’s Fairy Tales
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Original Language: Danish
Estimated Number of Languages: 160
Andersen’s Fairy Tales is a collection of short stories. The most famous stories include “The Little Mermaid”, “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. Although some of the tales are dark and slightly disturbing, the fantasy and imagination behind them is indisputable.
The Little Mermaid, The Little Match Girl, The Red Shoes and many more of Anderson Tales have been adapted into movies.
9. The Adventures of Asterix (Astérix le Gaulois)
Authors: René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Jean-Yves Ferri
Original Language: French
Estimated Number of Languages: 115
The Adventures of Asterix is a comic series describing the exploits of a Gaul warrior who helps his village deflect invading Roman forces in 50 BCE.
10. The adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin)
Author: Herge
Original Language: French
Estimated Number of Languages: 115
The Adventures of Tintin is a comic series about the adventures of Tintin, a reporter and his dog Snowy. Known for using a lot of factual research and accurate representation of various cultures and people, this book has gained popularity all over the world.
