TRANSLATION

When we translate English phrases into different languages the meaning is lost. This is because other languages do not follow that same form as the English language. Words are used differently and sentences are stuctured differently.

For example, the French say “Il pleuvait à boire debout” which has the same meaning as the English phrase “It is raining cats and dogs”. When “Il pleuvait à boire debout” is translated directly into English, it is converted to “It rained with drinking upright” which does not make any sense to English speaking people. A reason for different cultures having different “catch phrases” is supported by Saussure’s idea of convention: people speak sharing a common ground. The words are chosen by the culture to understand the given circumsance.

The English understand “It is raining cats and dogs” as it is pouring rain. The French would interpret this literally or nonsensically. The same would occur with the French phrase: “Il pleuvait à boire debout”. English speaking people do not understand “it rained with drinking upright”. This French translation is suppose to imply that when it is pouring rain it will fill your opened mouth if you face it up towards the sky. The translation does not translate this meaning because words are tied to thoughts, they are not independent things. Language helps us make sense of our lives and language is a social experience. Different languages have different expressions because language is based on the social desirable and words are defined based on the context.