Exploring the magical world of Harry Potter: a meaning-based analysis of names and their translation into Italian

Introduction Translation is a fascinating discipline; though, sometimes people do not understand the work “behind” translation, or the difficulties that could be found doing a job like that of the translator. For this reason I decided to write my dissertation on a topic linked to translation. Harry Potter came to my mind while I was thinking about a book that could be considered a mixture of different kinds of literature and that contains many challenges for a translator. Moreover, a lot of spoilers of this book series can be found in the Internet, because fans do not want to wait 5 or 6 months to get the novel translated into their own language. These spoilers and non- authorized versions may be well-translated, but can also be of bad quality. Indeed, the translation of a novel such as the Harry Potter ones requires accuracy and a lot of precision, which should start from the smallest details. Serena Daniele, one of Harry Potter‟s translators for Salani (Italy), wrote a note that has been published in the book before the first chapter from the second edition on, where she explains the choices Italian translators made. The note is: “La traduzione di un libro tocca corde sensibilissime nel cuore e nella mente dei lettori: si tratta di passare da una lingua all‟altra rispettandone “suoni e visioni” e mantenendo intatta la 4