Lost in translation: the Guardian wants to know
Thread poster: Kay Denney
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 08:09
French to English
Dec 22, 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/19/if-you-speak-multiple-languages-which-words-get-lost-in-translation

Here's a chance to rant about the words that you just can't do full justice to in a translation without rambling in a translator's note for half a page!

I just sent in a contribution
... See more
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/19/if-you-speak-multiple-languages-which-words-get-lost-in-translation

Here's a chance to rant about the words that you just can't do full justice to in a translation without rambling in a translator's note for half a page!

I just sent in a contribution about "empowerment" in English and "laïcité" in French
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P.L.F. Persio
Vanda Nissen
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 08:09
French to English
TOPIC STARTER
. Dec 22, 2019

And they've already written an article on the subject in fact
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/dec/19/true-meanings-of-words-of-emotion-get-lost-in-translation-study-finds


 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 07:09
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Thank you, Kay! Dec 22, 2019

I also find difficult to translate “Empowerment” into Portuguese, though a lazy literal translation - empoderamento – has become popular and is dictionarized since 2001. In French, the one I find most difficult to translate is “évenementiel”. Most foreign translators I know say that the Portuguese word “saudade” is the one they struggle with.

P.L.F. Persio
 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 17:09
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
Thank you, Kay! Dec 22, 2019

I have also submitted my response. There are some English words such as epistemic adverbs which are difficult to translate because in Russian we have a different understanding of epistemic modality.

P.L.F. Persio
 


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Lost in translation: the Guardian wants to know







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