The gaps between languages

[LeonardoDiCrypto]

People who grew up learning more languages are in fact much richer than the others because for them there are less gaps between languages - at least the ones they know. Every language carries with itself the culture behind and the vision of the world of a people, so if you know VERY WELL more languages, in a way you are more than one person.

[coinholic]

And what gets lost between them?

If you read a translated book or subtitles you're not reading what the author wrote, it's the translator's effort. I know enough of a couple of languages to know that quite often what's being fed to you is radically different to the original work.

Similarly if you're some guy from Lesotho who only speaks your local dialect, how much of the world's knowledge is being denied to you by the lack of translation? What about your government as they're likely to be the one and only news source in that language? Surely objectivity and neutrality is almost non existent if someone's information sources are that limited. How much of his knowledge is being denied to anyone who doesn't speak what he does?

There must be mountains of information, art and learning that disappears between cultures because of this.

Is this an unpublicised cultural disaster or does the right info always find a way?

This will go back in Biblical times during the Tower of Babel where mankind was divided thru the "Language Assignment," if you may. Since there was only one language during those times, man took advantage of this to work against God. But certainly God saw what was goin on and so He broke them apart thru language. And obviously up to this time it has remained the same. Since God is the author of all this, then there is a very important reason.

The gap between languages may be necessary to hide or cover up some truths since not all cultures are so accommodating with certain changes. But of course, anything hidden will always be discovered or revealed.

[djangocoin]

And what gets lost between them?

If you read a translated book or subtitles you're not reading what the author wrote, it's the translator's effort. I know enough of a couple of languages to know that quite often what's being fed to you is radically different to the original work.

Similarly if you're some guy from Lesotho who only speaks your local dialect, how much of the world's knowledge is being denied to you by the lack of translation? What about your government as they're likely to be the one and only news source in that language? Surely objectivity and neutrality is almost non existent if someone's information sources are that limited. How much of his knowledge is being denied to anyone who doesn't speak what he does?

There must be mountains of information, art and learning that disappears between cultures because of this.

Is this an unpublicised cultural disaster or does the right info always find a way?

Take the bible for example. Was definitely not written in modern english, and has probably been translated many times throughout history.. i wonder how much of the original has been lost...

[NorihiroName]

I think it is cultural and mental differences and I can't say, that something is lost, it just changes it's form.

[Franz McDinglehofmeisterb]

One big issue is that English has too many words that mean the exact same thing rather than enough words that mean something new.

If two words seem to have the exact same meaning i.e, you don't know the difference between them, the flaw is in you, not the words. Differentiation is a third of intelligence. The conflict is between tradition, which tries to carry information to idiots like you, and evolution, which is derailed by those who dismiss tradition as well as those who use it as a crutch or a weapon.

[Tozi]

Of course, there is a difference between each language.There are several languages that are similar, but none is the same.Every language is different from the other because it once misses what others have.

[yoseph]

Even though I am not a muslim I have heard several things in the Quran that when I talk to my muslim friends about it, they claim that the popular going about in the world has been correctly mistranslated. But I believe if it has been really misinterpreted,  then I think they should come out and make the original meaning be made to everyone else.

[IntuitiveCoins]

It's not just foreign languages, the comprehension of people is just not accurate and so much gets lost. The original meaning gets lost even within the same language.

[IntuitiveCoins]

And what gets lost between them?

If you read a translated book or subtitles you're not reading what the author wrote, it's the translator's effort. I know enough of a couple of languages to know that quite often what's being fed to you is radically different to the original work.

Similarly if you're some guy from Lesotho who only speaks your local dialect, how much of the world's knowledge is being denied to you by the lack of translation? What about your government as they're likely to be the one and only news source in that language? Surely objectivity and neutrality is almost non existent if someone's information sources are that limited. How much of his knowledge is being denied to anyone who doesn't speak what he does?

There must be mountains of information, art and learning that disappears between cultures because of this.

Is this an unpublicised cultural disaster or does the right info always find a way?

I think it is generally understood with academics. You're right though, massive amounts of information gets lost/misinterpreted.
Allot of information gets intentionally denied trough mistranslations, very common in medieval Europe where the Vatican and catholic church in general holds controll over its people's thoughts. Who knows how much that happens this day and age? Probably just as much.

I like the jewish tale of truth according to stories of creation.
Everything was created in truth and only truth really exists so for there to be a lie it has to be based on or contain some truth.
Based on this logic, ''the right info'' or truth will always find a way to surface.

While I love that quote of "Everything was created in truth and only truth really exists." Like the game of telephone, one something is slightly off, the true meaning will NEVER find its way back to the surface. Never.

[Cordillera]

just like human being our languages or either our dialects has it own evolutionary processes, The millennial today are making some words that they have the same meaning to the old languages they have. Most especially in Philippines Most them coined a word that the oldish are not aware of the words they used example of these are "LODI" wish means "IDOL" and other is "WERPA" which means "PAWER/POWER" "CHUGI" or to "KILLED" . These millennial words created gap of language From the oldish or elders to the young ones.But if worldwide languages, culture is dynamic as well as Language. If we Know only one or two or either three language then that's very well. There is no gaps between languages if know how to socialize. Language are easy to learn and most of the words in different languages or countries are the same. example are the hindi words of "GURO" in India is "Teacher" as well as in the Philippines. And Nowadays as we can see we have different technologies to use, or to translate a words from your native words into a international words. online and offline translators are very useful to help everyone not to have a GAPS BETWEEN LANGUAGES.

[Naoko]

People who grew up learning more languages are in fact much richer than the others because for them there are less gaps between languages - at least the ones they know. Every language carries with itself the culture behind and the vision of the world of a people, so if you know VERY WELL more languages, in a way you are more than one person.

this is really a remarkable thing when a person knows languages...he can freely communicate and learn information in the native languages, this is completely different than the translation...but how much effort and time you need to spend...find more worthy teachers, and not those teachers who are ready to teach you all your life, only so that you go to them all the time for classes

[nwahshearthiad]

Language barrier will never be a problem if you have good communication skills. Going to another country require a lot of effort in communication but luckily a lot of people all over the world understands the universal language which is english, they maybe cannot speak english well but they can understand so the gap in language will not be that of a big issue.

[innocent93]

And what gets lost between them?

If you read a translated book or subtitles you're not reading what the author wrote, it's the translator's effort. I know enough of a couple of languages to know that quite often what's being fed to you is radically different to the original work.

Similarly if you're some guy from Lesotho who only speaks your local dialect, how much of the world's knowledge is being denied to you by the lack of translation? What about your government as they're likely to be the one and only news source in that language? Surely objectivity and neutrality is almost non existent if someone's information sources are that limited. How much of his knowledge is being denied to anyone who doesn't speak what he does?

There must be mountains of information, art and learning that disappears between cultures because of this.

Is this an unpublicised cultural disaster or does the right info always find a way?

In deed, a language is more efficient by the number of words that contains.

[Snub]

Language barriers will always be present at communication, because in our world there are so many languages that it's impossible to learn all of them. But I believe that the right information always finds a way to reach out to the addressee.

[TaKlarPH]

When you read a book and English book you need to know the meaning but if you read and dont known anything well stop because you might define it different. If someone translated a book well words will be the same because thats the translators job meaning wont change words would be given in the same output. But if language is your problem when talking to someone in an other place you must know the difference study for no mistakes well happen.

[zoran.drobnjak]

Most of the people do not use more than 5 percent of their brain capacity, it is very easy for anyone to acquire any new language in max 2 years time. Other than being useful to better understand other people and their culture, it is also a good intellectual exercise to unlock some unused brain potential.

There are definitively so many thoughts, ideas and concepts that are untranslatable between languages and learning new language is actually learning to think in another way.

[LemmingTom]

And what gets lost between them?

If you read a translated book or subtitles you're not reading what the author wrote, it's the translator's effort. I know enough of a couple of languages to know that quite often what's being fed to you is radically different to the original work.

You're right. It's impossible to make complete equivalency of translation. Some bits of information are lost during the process due to the differences in the languages.

[babala]

sometimes translation is not really reliable, Some of the words are not translated correctly or should i say the grammar is not correct to translate in other languages. In my conclusion, We should have the uniformity of language or only one language all over the world so that no misinterpretation and misunderstanding.

[nagatraju]

Translations do not always have good quality. Therefore, it is better to watch several at once. Or you can also translated by yourself if you know the language a little.

[retardunicorn]

there's always a gap between 2 languages. I think this gap cannot be completely filled