Translation is not merely a conversion of language, but a 'transcoding' of culture. What is most likely to be 'lost' during the translation process?

Hello! That's an excellent question, hitting the nail right on the head. Translation isn't simply swapping words one by one using a dictionary. It's more like what you said: "decoding" one culture and then "re-encoding" it into the expressions of another culture.

Think of it like disassembling a meticulously built Lego model and then rebuilding it with a completely different set of bricks. The shape and colors might not match, so you have to do your best to capture that "essence." In this process, some things are particularly prone to getting "lost in translation."

In my view, the things most easily lost are probably these:

1. Humor and Puns (The Soul of a Joke)

This is the absolute trickiest to translate, practically a translation "pitfall." That's because many jokes rely on the language's own sounds, multiple meanings of words, or wordplay.

For example: There's a classic English groaner: "Why was 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9 (seven ate nine)!" The punchline hinges on eight and ate sounding the same. Translate it into Chinese: "为什么6害怕7？因为7吃了9。" – Doesn't it instantly become unfunny? The joke is gone, its soul lost.

Chinese homophone jokes are the same. Puns like "我‘扇’贝（扇背）" or "给你点‘颜色’瞧瞧（言射）" lose their original flavor when translated into any foreign language.

2. Cultural Allusions and Background (The "You Know What I Mean" Moments)

Every culture has its own unique historical stories, famous figures, movies, TV shows, and idioms. These are like cultural "passwords" – insiders get it immediately, while outsiders are left bewildered.

For example:
- In Chinese, we say "说曹操，曹操到" (Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives). We all know the Three Kingdoms story behind it. But translating it directly like that just makes a foreigner ask: "Who is Cao Cao?" The translator might need a lengthy footnote, but that sense of shared understanding is gone.
- In English, saying "It's his Waterloo." refers to Napoleon's crushing defeat, meaning a "decisive failure." But someone unfamiliar with European history won't grasp the weight behind it.

3. Subtext and Tone (The Vibe and The Subtext)

Language isn't just about conveying information; it's also about conveying emotion and attitude. Especially in Eastern cultures, speech emphasizes "indirectness" and "subtlety," with much meaning implied.

For example: In China, if your boss looks at your proposal and says with a smile, "嗯，这个想法很有意思。" (Hmm, this idea is very interesting.) This might not be pure praise. The subtext could very well be: "This plan is immature/unrealistic, go back and think it over." But translating it directly as "Well, this is a very interesting idea." in a Western workplace context might be taken as straightforward, positive encouragement. Losing this subtle nuance can lead to significant misunderstandings.

4. Poetic Rhythm and Beauty (The Music of Words)

Poetry is the essence of language. Its beauty lies not only in meaning but also in its sound, rhythm, and form. Tang and Song dynasty poetry, for instance, follows strict rules for tonal patterns, parallelism, rhyme, and fixed character counts.

For example: Li Bai's "床前明月光，疑是地上霜" (Before my bed, a pool of bright moonlight; I thought it was frost upon the ground.) In just ten characters, it captures imagery, rhythm, and musicality. We can translate it as "A pool of bright moonlight in front of my bed, I thought it was frost on the ground." The meaning is conveyed, but the catchy, lyrical musical beauty is almost entirely lost. Translated poetry often just becomes "prose."

5. Untranslatable "Cultural Concept Words" (Words That Don't Travel)

Some words are deeply rooted in specific cultural soil and simply have no perfect equivalent in other languages.

For example:
- The Chinese word "江湖" (Jianghu). It encompasses a complex set of concepts like martial arts world, brotherhood, grudges and favors, wandering, and freedom from worldly constraints. The pinyin "Jianghu" requires a whole novel to explain.
- The Chinese word "撒娇" (sājiāo). This word blends meanings like "acting cute," "feigning weakness," and "seeking affection and leniency." English has no single word that fully captures it, requiring phrases like "acting in a playful or coquettish manner to get what one wants."
- The Danish word "Hygge," describing a feeling of warmth, comfort, contentment, and enjoying the present moment. It's not simply covered by "cozy."

To sum up:

So you see, translation is truly an "art of compromise." An excellent translator is like a "dancer in shackles." They must strive to find the best possible balance between the cultural essence of the source language and the expressive habits of the target language. They need to translate not just "what is said," but also strive to convey "how it's said" and the things "left unsaid."

Next time we read a translation and something feels a bit "off," it might not be the translator's lack of skill. It might be that some of the cultural "essence" truly slipped away quietly in this "transcoding" process.