When you translate from one language to another, you can never use the exact words. And you have to consider what the person is really trying to say, and its emotional impact. And even when you do all this, the translation is never perfect. One translator for the UN said hearing a language translation is like being kissed thru a veil. IOW, nothing like the the real thing. For example. In French to ask the time, they say "quelle heure est-il" or "what hour is it?" We would say what time is it. Also, something like three o'clock would be "trois heures". They don't have a word like o'clock. I don't think any other language does actually. And to ask how old are you, they'd say quel âge as-tu, or "what age have you?" Also, some old sayings don't translate exactly. In French, they say c'est le geste qui compte, "it's the gesture that counts". We would say it's the thought that counts. In Latin they say tempus fugit, "time flees". We would say it flies, and so forth. Insults can be a problem. When Romanian Olympic coach Bela Karolyi defected to the US in the 1980's, he heard the expression son of a bitch. In Romania, dogs are prized for the bravery and loyalty. So for a while he went around calling everyone that. But some differences in languages can be funny. When Ricardo Montalban first arrived to the US from Mexico, he was just learning the language. And he was at a bus stop with a young lady. Now, the word constipated literally just means backed up, and that's how they use it in Mexico. Montalban sneezed and the young girl said, I hope you don't have a cold. He replied, no. I'm just constipated.
