What is the figurative meaning of the phrase lost in translation?

Answer 1

"Lost in translation" literally means a word or phrase which, when translated from one language to another, loses so much of its nuance and/or connotation that its meaning, or the full sense of its meaning, is no longer discernible in the translated form. Figuratively, "lost in translation" refers to a word or phrase, or sometimes even an noun or an action, which, when removed from its original context, can no longer be (fully) understood. This figurative sense is often applied to cultural or sub-cultural artefacts, such as colloquialisms, gestures, fashions and the like.

An example of literal loss in translation can often be found in instructions, signage and the like when machine translated from one language to another. While the exact words are literally translated, the meaning of the overall expression is badly obscured or entirely lost. Figurative loss in translation often occurs when slang, clothing styles, and behaviours are removed from one subculture and demonstrated without context in another subculture or in the overarching culture. This often happens with trends among youth, as styles and behaviours in vogue in youth subculture change more rapidly than those in the overall culture but not the (various) youth subculture(s) are able to keep up.

Answer 2

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