zlacker

The thing about translations is that they’re not written by the author. You can translate something and convey the same approximate meaning, but it will always be an approximation, sometimes reduced, of the original intent of the writing.

Sometimes you just can’t translate feelings well, even if an apparent direct translation exists. Swear words are a glaring example. You can translate motherf* either word for word or with a similar swear word, but it either won’t feel native or it won’t have the same connotation.

English itself is fine. I recently read “The Gradual Extinction of Softness” [1] and I was unable to translate it into my language and maintain the same feeling.

1: https://hippocampusmagazine.com/2021/11/the-gradual-extincti...

>>feupan+(OP)
That said I think any translation even with a great deal of love and care can’t really express things the same way just due to cultural/innate differences in languages. Def don’t agree that English is somehow less capable of expression than Japanese, but just that any translation is an approximation, and usually it’s a half hearted one.