The most translated books respond to a question or concern that a society is asked at a given time.
Literary culture takes center stage in the next few days with the inauguration of the traditional book fair in the city of Buenos Aires. This event provides a unique opportunity to explore the works that have been read worldwide thanks to its translation into various languages. What is the most translated Argentine book?
The magic of translation in literature
The Book Fair 2025, which takes place from April 24 to May 12 at the La Rural Fairground, is the perfect scenario to remember the importance of translation in literature. A study of the Research Center of the PREPLY Language Platform reveals which are the most translated books according to your country of origin, Offering a detailed ranking that clearly shows which foreign authors seduce local readers, and vice versa.
“Reading is one of the best ways to enrich vocabulary when you are learning a new language. Our teachers often encourage their students to try to read some of the works in the language they are learning,” explains Yolanda of the weight.
THE POWER OF LANGUAGES IN LANGUAGES
As for the most translated books, the specialist explains that “every ‘bestseller’ answers a question or concern that a society is asked at a certain time. Some books are ‘Longsellers’ because they respond to concerns or fantasies that remain in force for several years. In that universe, it is worth reviewing the 5 most translated books in history:
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The Bible If we had to risk the most translated book in the world, the answer is quite evident. The Bible, adding the new and old testament, is translated into 689 languages. It represents the history of the West and is also the most read book in the world. It contains numerous books originally written in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek Koiné.
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The Little Prince Published for the first time in 1943, the Little Prince occupies the second place in the ranking of the most translated books in the history of mankind. The creation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is translated into 300 languages and still continues to attract new readers. The book presents different characters that interact with the little prince and reviews all aspects of the human condition through a critical look.
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Pinocchio The great books touch important issues for the human being, and in that direction the third position of the ranking appears. One of those important issues for people is the lie, the central theme of Pinocchio. In Carlo Collodi’s book, written in 1881, the wooden doll that comes alive sees how his nose grows every time the truth is missing. The book serves for several generations of parents to educate their children in honesty.
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Tao te ching The fourth most translated book belongs to the East. The Tao Te Ching is attributed to Lao TSE, written around the sixth century AC is composed of 81 short chapters in verse that transmit the wisdom of the Tao (the road), an invisible and natural force that governs the universe. It is translated into about 250 languages and is a fundamental reading for the believers of the Asian continent.
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Communist Manifesto In fifth place appears the communist manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848, a political text that laid the foundations of modern communism and is translated into 200 languages. It is a call to the revolution of the working class against the capitalist system and the exploitation of the workers by the bourgeoisie. Its global diffusion reflects the ideological influence of Marxism during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
As a bonus track, it should be noted that “Alice in Wonderland” It occupies the next position but is out of the top five. The lysergic story created by Lewis Carroll inspires a large number of films, books and cartoons.
What is the most translated Argentine book?
Another bonus track is the case of the book most translated in Argentina. Its author is Jorge Luis Borges, who accumulates awards of all kinds at the literary level. SU Book “El Aleph”, published in 1949 and that brings together its most representative stories, heads the national ranking with translations in more than 25 languages. The story that gives title to the book revolves around a point in the space that contains all the points of the universe simultaneously, an idea as dazzling as disturbing.
The Argentine author exceeds the authors such as Augusto Roa Bastos or Mario Vargas Llosa, whose books are translated to 10 and 19 languages respectively.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
