“Translation is a form of transformation”

Simplified Meaning:

When you translate something from one language to another, you are not just switching words. You are changing the way ideas are expressed. Imagine you have a simple recipe from Italy written in Italian. When you translate it to English, you need to do more than change individual words; you need to adjust the measurements, cooking methods, and ingredients to match what is available and familiar to English-speaking cooks. Translation is similar. You are transforming an entire message so that people from different cultures can understand it. It’s like turning a traditional Chinese poem into English. You need to make sure the feelings and meanings in the poem stay the same even though you're using totally different words. A real-life example can be when a movie is translated into another language. The jokes or cultural references might need to be changed, or they won’t make sense to people who speak the new language. This means the translator might have to find new jokes that capture the same humor. Translations need to keep the original spirit, even if the words and phrases are completely different. This is why translating is an art—it’s about creating something new while keeping the original meaning intact. So, when translating anything, focus on keeping the message clear and true to its original intent, even if you have to change the way you say it.