Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything

What is translation? In 1980, Oxford professor Roy Harris refused to teach his translation classes because no one could define the word. This blog explores David Bellos's book Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything, revealing translation as a profound human activity.

The Illusion of Word Magic

Linguist C.K. Ogden called word magic the trap of assuming a thing exists just because we have a single noun for it. English's umbrella term translation makes us think all translating is the same. But Japanese distinguishes honyaku (standard translation), chokuyaku (literal), and goyaku (mistranslation). The Latin root means 'to carry across,' which misleads us into seeing translation as mere delivery.

Translation as Creative Performance

Douglas Hofstadter's experiment asked dozens of people to translate a 16th-century French poem under strict constraints: 28 lines, three syllables each, rhyming couplets, and more. Every translation was different. This variability proves the limitless flexibility of the human mind. In the film Spanglish, a child translates for her mother by mimicking posture and tone, showing that meaning is not just data. Sound translation (homophonic translation) goes further: 'Humpty Dumpty' becomes 'un petit d'un petit,' ignoring dictionary meaning to replicate acoustics.

Three Paths to Avoid Translation

History shows three ways to escape translation. First, learn all languages: Columbus used Italian, Portuguese, Castilian, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and a lingua franca. Today, 9-13 vehicular languages reach 90% of the world. Second, unify under one language: Latin, then scientific English, which flattens expression. Third, total isolation: Edo Japan or Albania, where language shrinks but becomes hyper-efficient, like a carpenter saying 'give me the thing of me.'

Key takeaways

• Translation is not a simple swap; it is a complex cognitive act.
• Word magic tricks us into thinking all translation is identical.
• Hofstadter's experiment shows variability is proof of mental flexibility.
• Sound translation replicates acoustics, not dictionary meanings.
• Avoiding translation via one language creates a flattened monoculture.
• Isolation leads to hyper-contextual language, not cultural death.
• A translation is a substitute, not a degraded copy.

Next time you read something translated, remember, you aren't looking at a compromised version of the truth. You are looking at the limitless flexibility of the human mind at work.

LISTEN ON TRANSLATARS AUDIO

Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of Everything

20:43 · English · Premium

An Oxford professor once refused to teach translation classes because no one on his faculty could define the word. This audio turns that provocation into a tour

▶ Listen to the summary