Who Let the Cat out of the Bag?
Today we have a guest post from Katie Wilson, who can be found at onlineuniversities.com. Be sure to pay her a visit at her site for lots of great information about all the learning resources you can find online.
Idioms have become a way of life for many languages, but it is transcribing each culture’s various phrases that can be tricky to an inspiring polyglot. For example, languages that are so closely related to our own are understandably going to be easier to decipher. There is a reason “Vini, Vidi, Vici” is transferrable to our own English language because of our Latin roots. But it is translating idioms such as “don’t look a gift horse in a mouth” wherein you run into problems. Even when you manage to accurately translate the statement, the hidden meaning gets lost in translation. This has been the bane of language teachers for decades when attempting to get students to no longer translate word by word, but sentence by sentence, in order to achieve the greater meaning.
Idioms have become so ingrained in society today that it is difficult to have a conversation without one slipping out. For someone who is new to the language, whatever language it may be, this is bound to become confusing when attempting to pick up various dialects. In order to accurately translate the meaning of the idiom, many times the language has to be tweaked and different words are chosen to be translated. Translations need to be carefully determined based on the specific language’s customs and social patterns, in order to gain the full picture of the idiom. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” is another classic American idiom that would become completely lost in translation unless properly paralleled in the new language.
Idioms by definition are figurative expressions that cannot be translated literally, which causes many problems for translators and new language-learners alike. Many phrases no longer seem like idioms anymore because of their assimilation into pop culture, but are still considered to be as such when translated into another language. For example, Pepsi’s “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” translated in China as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”. These slight changes in the translation have vast implications on a global scale. Many direct translations have obscene and vulgar meanings in different countries, which makes it all the more worthwhile to intensely study a language before visiting a country. Idioms in general can be found to have very amusing connotations and are part of the “soul” structure of a given language and culture, giving each its own playful side. Who can imagine everyday life in America without “last but not least!” or to “pay an arm and a leg for”? They have become so infused into our culture that it would be difficult to go through life without such expressions now.
This post was contributed by Katie Wilson, who writes about the top universities online. She welcomes your feedback at KatieWilson06 at gmail.com
Idioms have become a way of life for many languages, but it is transcribing each culture’s various phrases that can be tricky to an inspiring polyglot. For example, languages that are so closely related to our own are understandably going to be easier to decipher. There is a reason “Vini, Vidi, Vici” is transferrable to our own English language because of our Latin roots. But it is translating idioms such as “don’t look a gift horse in a mouth” wherein you run into problems. Even when you manage to accurately translate the statement, the hidden meaning gets lost in translation. This has been the bane of language teachers for decades when attempting to get students to no longer translate word by word, but sentence by sentence, in order to achieve the greater meaning.
Idioms have become so ingrained in society today that it is difficult to have a conversation without one slipping out. For someone who is new to the language, whatever language it may be, this is bound to become confusing when attempting to pick up various dialects. In order to accurately translate the meaning of the idiom, many times the language has to be tweaked and different words are chosen to be translated. Translations need to be carefully determined based on the specific language’s customs and social patterns, in order to gain the full picture of the idiom. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” is another classic American idiom that would become completely lost in translation unless properly paralleled in the new language.
Idioms by definition are figurative expressions that cannot be translated literally, which causes many problems for translators and new language-learners alike. Many phrases no longer seem like idioms anymore because of their assimilation into pop culture, but are still considered to be as such when translated into another language. For example, Pepsi’s “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” translated in China as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”. These slight changes in the translation have vast implications on a global scale. Many direct translations have obscene and vulgar meanings in different countries, which makes it all the more worthwhile to intensely study a language before visiting a country. Idioms in general can be found to have very amusing connotations and are part of the “soul” structure of a given language and culture, giving each its own playful side. Who can imagine everyday life in America without “last but not least!” or to “pay an arm and a leg for”? They have become so infused into our culture that it would be difficult to go through life without such expressions now.
This post was contributed by Katie Wilson, who writes about the top universities online. She welcomes your feedback at KatieWilson06 at gmail.com
3 Comments:
A great post at a 4th grade level that apparently appears to be a thinly-veiled advertisement... wow.
Anonymous,
I think it's a great post too, which is why I put it up. A lot of learners get caught up in the idea that if they master enough words and structures they'll know the language. This disabuses them of that notion in an informative and entertaining way.
I'm a little confused about the "thinly-veiled advertisement" comment. While I observed the standard courtesies in linking a guest-poster, the post itself was directed to language learners and was refreshingly free of the self-serving promotion that often shows up in guest submissions and comments.
veni not vini
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home