PhrasesHub

lost in translation

    Definitions

      • misunderstanding
        Describe a situation where something is not accurately conveyed from one language or culture to another, resulting in confusion or misinterpretation

      • altered meaning
        Refer to the idea that the true meaning or essence of something is not fully captured when it is translated from one language to another

    Examples of lost in translation

    • The business presentation we received from our Japanese partners was lost in translation.

      This idiom is used when something is not accurately translated from one language to another, resulting in its meaning being lost or misunderstood. In this example, the presentation may have contained important information that was not conveyed clearly due to the translation errors.

    • After studying French for a year, I still feel lost in translation when trying to order in a Parisian restaurant.

      This example highlights the difficulty of communicating in a foreign language, even after studying it for an extended period. The phrase "lost in translation" is used to convey the feeling of being unable to express one's thoughts or understand the language being spoken.

    • I attended a conference last week, but I found it difficult to follow the speaker's ideas because I was lost in translation.

      In this instance, the idiom is used to explain that the speaker's points were not conveyed clearly, making it challenging to comprehend the overall message. This could have been due to the speaker's accent, poor diction, or a translation error.

    • The movie, which was originally in Mandarin, was lost in translation during the English subtitles.

      This example describes how the subtitles of a foreign-language film did not accurately translate the dialogue, causing confusion and misunderstanding for viewers who relied on the subtitles to understand the story. Consequently, the movie may have been "lost in translation" for this audience.

    • The restaurant menu had many unfamiliar dishes that left us feeling lost in translation.

      This sentence describes a situation where we come across a menu with dishes that are not familiar to us, making it difficult to understand and order. The idiom "lost in translation" here implies that the translation of the menu items from the language they are written in to our native language is inaccurate, making it challenging to know what we are ordering.

    • Despite taking language classes, I still sometimes feel lost in translation when speaking with native speakers.

      This sentence refers to a situation where one has learned a language, but still finds it challenging to communicate fluently with native speakers of that language. The idiom "lost in translation" here refers to the inability to accurately translate one's thoughts into the target language, leading to misunderstandings and communication barriers.

    • The travel brochure promised a scenic train journey, but the route turned out to be vastly different from what we had anticipated, leaving us feeling lost in translation.

      This sentence describes a situation where the description given in a brochure or advertisement is different from the actual experience that one encounters. The idiom "lost in translation" here implies that the translation or interpretation of the brochure's promises did not accurately reflect the reality of the experience.

    • The customer service representative's explanations left us feeling lost in translation as we struggled to follow her instructions.

      This sentence refers to a situation where one is communicating with customer service, but finds it challenging to understand the instructions given. The idiom "lost in translation" here implies that the instructions given by customer service are not clear or accurate in their translation, leading to confusion and misunderstandings.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "lost in translation" is commonly used to describe situations where communication or understanding is hindered due to differences in language or culture. It can also be used to convey the idea that the true essence of something is not fully conveyed when it is translated. Overall, the idiom is used to express the challenges and limitations of cross-cultural communication and translation.

    Origin of "lost in translation"

    The origin of the idiom "lost in translation" can be traced back to the challenges and complexities of translating written or spoken content from one language to another. It is believed to have originated from the difficulties faced by translators in accurately conveying the full meaning and nuances of a text or speech. The idiom gained popularity and entered common usage as people recognized the limitations of translation and the potential for misunderstandings and misinterpretations to occur when communicating across different languages and cultures. The idiom has since become a widely recognized and used expression to convey the difficulties and limitations of cross-cultural communication and translation.

    Examples of the idiom can be found in literature, film, and everyday conversations, highlighting its significance in expressing the challenges of translation and cross-cultural communication.