{Infographic} Really? “Untranslatable” Words from Non-English Languages
That’s why translation is a profession which takes years to perfect. A bilingual person isn’t necessarily a great translator, because the nuances between the languages are subtle, and understanding the essence of the document you want translated is not something you can just wing.
That’s another reason a professional translator usually concentrates on a couple languages and usually a narrow field of subjects. Each subject area is a specialty. A person who translates human resources documents won’t try to translate literature, for example.
Untranslatable?
This infographic is lovely, and reminds us of the gorgeous differences between languages. The idea that culture is infused in language, and to learn a new language can go a long way to understanding another culture.
But are these words “untranslatable”? I’d answer that they have been translated in this infographic. The images, in addition to the explanation next to the untranslatable words are themselves a translation. Could a better job be done? Maybe.
Why Untranslatable Words are Important
You may or may not need translation services. But you need language. And you need rich vocabulary, full of words that perfectly express that unique essence of who you are and what you are here to say.
Learning a few new words a day, whether they are in English or a new language, not only keeps your brain nimble and young-at-heart, it helps remind you of how much is out there. How much is possible. How rich our lives can be when we take the time to think about how to perfectly express what we want to say.
Interestingly, in this age of digital spellcheckers, we may be losing that. In our hyper awareness of making sure to never make a spelling mistake, we are, according to at least one study, killing our language. That creative fluidity that living languages love can’t survive if it is controlled by rigid spellcheckers and digital convention.
So go out today, learn a few new words (in any language) and make a few mistakes. You’ll be better for it!
Happy Friday.
Credit for this Infographic:
The website this infographic was shared from is a wonderful project called Maptia. If you’d like to learn more about their ambitious project to create story, please read this article.