What is lost in translation from one language to another?

Answer 1

Many things can be lost, depending on how close the languages are to one another. Certainly any "slang" or casual way of speaking can get garbled beyond recognition.

Subtleties can get lost, as in the exact choice of words being surrendered to a thesaurus-type selection of near, but not exact, equivalences. Or certain poetic sentence structures can lead to odd results.

There used to be a "game" played with beginning translation programs where you would put in a famous quote, translate it into some other language (often Japanese, because that's where the work was concentrated), then back into English. The results were hilarious! Try it now, with Babelfish.

Answer 2

Depends on the skill of the translator. Most probably the warmth, emotions, subtleties and philosophy of the source language.

And a lot of time, blood sweat and tears. Much easier to learn the language yourself and basta!

As for computerised translations, these have not progressed very much since Naom Chomsky's famous 1960s account of translating, via the computer, 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak' into Russian and back into English. The result was: 'The vodka's OK, but the meat's a bit off'. Babylon and Babel.

People think problems only arise in non-technical texts, like fiction and poetry; this is not true. I recently came across 'abbreviated conclusion' in a technical text about vehicle electrics. When I checked with the source language I found the word 'Kurzschluss' - 'kurz'/short, 'schluss'/end. The word actually means 'short-circuit'.

Answer 3

Having worked as a translator for literature, I know how hard it is to transfer the exact atmosphere and "feel" of any work of art into another language, even in languages which are related, like German and English. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it just does not, and some authors are much easier than others.
The most difficult are proverbs and puns, also other idiomatic expressions, although the reader in the target language will be mostly unaware of that.

Answer 4

If you know what is lost in translation, then it is not lost. Language is not always the only (or the best) way to communicate ideas and concepts.

Answer 5

Specific idioms such as "raining cats and dogs". These idioms do not translate into other languages very well. In English there is sleet, snow, wet snow, dry snow, powder snow and that's about it. In the Inuit language however there are something like thirty different terms for snow therefore not all of them will translate into English

Answer 6

In poetry, the rhyme will need "rejigging" or will be lost. In other translations, any clever punning or alliteration or assonance is unlikely to be replicated. Some words will not have a completely accurate equivalent - some deliberate ambiguity will be lost and conversely some will arise that is unwanted. The wording may appear unnatural or clunky

Answer 7

I beleive the periods and commas go....

as it is, a comma can define the way a sentence is spoken, but with translation, i believe it is possible to become lost.

Such a change, changes the way a language comes across...

your sister,
Ginger

Answer 8

The first thing that comes to my mind is humor. So much humor is regional that it's impossible to translate. Another thing can be the rhythm and poetry of the language, for example "El otoño del patriarca" (Marquez) loses it's poetry in the translation.

Answer 9

The full meaning unless accompanied by facial & hand expressions. Look what happened to the Bible, Jesus spoke Aramaic or ancient Hebrew. I like the Italian language, as it is spoken and I only fully understand it when I visit Italy. I was married to an Italian for a long while.

Answer 10

Many things are lost in the translation.

Mainly the idiom. Because these differ.

Par example, en France on peut dit "Il pluie des cordes"; while, In English, I'd say "It rains cats and dogs."

You can see the difference in the translation above.