why do most language translations fail to express the original in another language?

Question

the translation into english of "The journey to the west" fails to express most of the feeling involved in the original litterature. This is the case with the translations from english to other languages and many people will not fully enjoy litterature if they cannot read the text in it's original langauge. The answer to my question could be the road to solving the problem!

Answer 1

The main problem is conveying the cultural context, not so much the language per se. Languages evolve around the cultural backdrop of a people and/or a nation. I can appreciate this problem particularly because I live in a European country, though I am American. I see this glaring issue in the translated dialogue of movies and TV programs all the time. There are situations portrayed that are practically impossible to convey to a foreign viewer, living in a totally different cultural environment. So the problem is not reflected only in books, but in all media in general. Just to offer a very simplified example, I watch the TV series both in English (on SKY) and Italian on Italy's national network. While I find it very funny in English, and can obviously relate to many typically American cultural depictions, the dubbed in Italian version falls totally flat. Even simple idioms such as "Dude" (that can be very funny in the right context) or Joey's catch phrase "How ya doin'" don't hit the mark in Italian. The Italian language doesn't have enough words to make the distinction between, say, "dude", "buddy", "man", etc. and all these words are translated into the generic term "friend". There are a lot of references to common experiences that most American children share, and as adults we can relate to, that simply are not part of an Italian's childhood. Much the same happens in books. That is the hardest part of translating from one language to another. Simply knowing both languages fluently is not enough. You need to know a lot about the culture of the language as well, or you will not be able recreate the "cultural feel" of whatever it is you are translating. This is even harder to do with books, as they don't have the visual support that movies and TV shows have.

Answer 2

If it was once translated from the long-established languages, it is a translation. If it was once translated or converted from a translation, it is a variant. If it was once converted from a variant, it is a paraphrase. Examples comprise: New American Standard Bible - translation New International Version - variant The Message - paraphrase Not each and every Bible categorised "translation" is a translation. Likewise now not each and every Bible categorised "variant" is a variant. The New Living Translation is a variant, at the same time the King James Version is a translation. It takes a little bit study into the historical past of that sort of Bible to notice whether or not or now not it is honestly a translation.

Answer 3

if this happens is because the translator failed not the language...every language has the same capacity to express the same feelings, emotions and sensations...there might be different ways of doing so, but if the translator is skillful, it can be done without a problem...

edit: I totally agree with shamrock...a translator has to be not only bilingual but BICULTURAL in order to translate not only the words but the hidden cultural meaning behind the words...that is why a computer will never replace a human translator...people who have never studied translation and/or linguistics have no idea what they are talking about or what being a translator actually means...actually great works of literature should be translated by people who are WRITERS, not just translators, because it takes a particular sensibility in translating a work of literature that not all people have...

Answer 4

Look at the goofy PC answer by the Queen.

Just imagine how poor quality all translations of the bible must be.

Translation must focus on a subset of the connotations, at the expense of all of the others. There is no way to do a perfect translation of anything but the most simple work. Most translations are necessarily very poor, unless they are simple directions, narratives, or simple scientific translations.

Answer 5

it's very hard to translate some things from one language to another and retain the original meaning. some things literally get lost in translation. phrases in one language sound funny in another. it takes too many words to convey the meaning and the flow is interrupted.

Answer 6

some words are unique to specific languages. You only have to look at directions you receive for products that you buy or posters you see in public areas such as subways. Look at the various words and you will see the differences in other languages.

Answer 7

Because the translator is bad, any language can be translated keeping the same meaning.