Is this correct English?

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Fulio Pen - 03 Nov 2006 13:45 GMT

1. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortune to a Chinese version.

2. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortuen into a Chinese version.

Which sentence is correct? Or both are wrong or right? If both are
wrong, how to make a correct one? If both are right, which one is
better?

Thanks a lot.

A non-native English speaker

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Donna Richoux - 03 Nov 2006 14:02 GMT

> 1. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortune to a Chinese version.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> A non-native English speaker

Others may feel differently, but I just wouldn't say either one. I'd say
"I have made a Chinese version of the Wheel of Fortune." Or possibly "I
have made a Chinese adaptation of the Wheel of Fortune."

To "adapt to" means something else (to become accustomed to...) and
"adapt into" sounds like the Chinese version already existed and you
added the Wheel of Fortune into it.

I do see there's some use of "adapted the novel into a screenplay" but I
don't know if that goes beyond novels and screenplays.

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Best -- Donna Richoux

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Don Phillipson - 03 Nov 2006 15:35 GMT

> Others may feel differently, but I just wouldn't say either one. I'd say
> "I have made a Chinese version of the Wheel of Fortune." Or possibly "I
> have made a Chinese adaptation of the Wheel of Fortune."

Agreed: and this still leaves ambiguous
whether the wheel in question is:
(a) the mediaeval concept (cf. the first song
in Carmina Burana);
(b) the fairground gambling apparatus.

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Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

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Jeffrey Turner - 03 Nov 2006 16:08 GMT

>>Others may feel differently, but I just wouldn't say either one. I'd say
>>"I have made a Chinese version of the Wheel of Fortune." Or possibly "I
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> in Carmina Burana);
> (b) the fairground gambling apparatus.

Or even the American TV game show.

--Jeff

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Garrett Wollman - 03 Nov 2006 18:37 GMT

>>>Others may feel differently, but I just wouldn't say either one. I'd say
>>>"I have made a Chinese version of the Wheel of Fortune." Or possibly "I
>>>have made a Chinese adaptation of the Wheel of Fortune."

>> Agreed: and this still leaves ambiguous
>> whether the wheel in question is:
>> (a) the mediaeval concept (cf. the first song
>> in Carmina Burana);
>> (b) the fairground gambling apparatus.

>Or even the American TV game show.

It can't be the game show. That would be expressed "I have made a
Chinese adaptation of 'Wheel of Fortune'."

-GAWollman

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Mark Brader - 03 Nov 2006 23:43 GMT

> ..."adapt into" sounds like the Chinese version already existed and you
> added the Wheel of Fortune into it.

I disagree. For example, novels are commonly adapted into movies.

> I do see there's some use of "adapted the novel into a screenplay" but I
> don't know if that goes beyond novels and screenplays.

Oh, you thought of that. But why wouldn't it?

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Donna Richoux - 04 Nov 2006 00:01 GMT

> > ..."adapt into" sounds like the Chinese version already existed and you
> > added the Wheel of Fortune into it.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Oh, you thought of that. But why wouldn't it?

I'm having trouble thinking of other stuff that is "adapted into" other
stuff, meaning transformed on a relatively equal level, besides novels
to screenplays. I thought it might be limited to the jargon of
moviemakers. Which is close to the world of TV production, if that is
what the original poster was talking about...

I suppose people say that one hardware tool can be "adapted into"
another, and a recipe for one thing can be adapted into a different
thing... But as I said, it's not a phrase I'd be likely to use myself.

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Best -- Donna Richoux

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Mark Brader - 04 Nov 2006 09:58 GMT

Donna Richoux:

>>> I do see there's some use of "adapted the novel into a screenplay" but I
>>> don't know if that goes beyond novels and screenplays.

Mark Brader:

>> ...why wouldn't it?

Donna Richoux:

> I'm having trouble thinking of other stuff that is "adapted into" other
> stuff, meaning transformed on a relatively equal level...

> I suppose people say that one hardware tool can be "adapted into"
> another, and a recipe for one thing can be adapted into a different
> thing...

Instead of hardware, think software. It happens all the time that a
program for one purpose is adapted into one for another, related purpose.
Games, as in the original poster's question, are another example.
For example, chess, a game of complete information, was adapted into
kriegspiel, a game where the opponent's position is concealed.

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Fulio Pen - 05 Nov 2006 01:25 GMT

Thank all of you for your help. You are really nice people.

Fulio Pen

> Donna Richoux:
> >>> I do see there's some use of "adapted the novel into a screenplay" but I
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> My text in this article is in the public domain.

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Marius Hancu - 04 Nov 2006 00:16 GMT

> > 1. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortune to a Chinese version.
> >
> > 2. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortuen into a Chinese version.

Indeed.

I also thought about:

I've adapted the Wheel of Fortune to Chinese (that would include both
the Chinese language and customs/culture).

Marius Hancu

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Mark Brader - 03 Nov 2006 23:42 GMT

"Fulio Pen" asks about:

> 1. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortune to a Chinese version.
> 2. I've adapted the Wheel of Fortuen into a Chinese version.

"Fortune" is the correct spelling; "into" is the correct preposition.

We don't use "the" when referring to TV shows by a bare title, so
if you're talking about the TV show "Wheel of Fortune", you should
omit "the". (Note that in my last sentence I did use "the", but
it was referring to "show", not the title. Also, some titles
themselves include the word "The", in which case it's right to use
is, but this one does not.)

Incidentally, I cannot imagine how Wheel of Fortune could possibly
adapted into a version using a non-alphabetic language.

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

Is this correct English?