| Do you sometimes wonder why certain materials | | | | different word must be used if you want "get" |
| are badly translated? One of these reasons | | | | to take on a different meaning. |
| why translation is difficult is a phenomenon | | | | |
| known as polysemy: the many meanings that a | | | | In each of the following sentences "get" |
| single word can take. | | | | takes a different meaning: |
| | | | |
| For example, In English, the word plain can | | | | I need to get some bread. (buy) |
| take on the following meanings:ordinary / | | | | |
| undecorated: a plain white shirteasy / | | | | I get the idea. (understand) |
| simple to understand: plain Englisha level | | | | |
| area of land: great plains | | | | We need to get home. (arrive) |
| | | | |
| Due to polysemy, translating English into | | | | This is just one word out of many which can |
| other languages is more complex than it | | | | cause translation difficulty. One must study |
| seems. One will have to know which sense of | | | | the context carefully and do not try to |
| the word is truly needed. | | | | translate word for word, or even worse, rely |
| | | | on an automated translator. Translation done |
| For example, there are over 20 ways to saying | | | | by a machine can produce very awkward and |
| "to get" in French. This is because there | | | | often hilarious results which make no sense |
| are multiple meanings of "get" that are used | | | | at all. Automatic translators are only |
| in English, but the French must use a | | | | useful for giving a brief overview (the gist |
| different word for each of those meanings. | | | | of what is being said) of the main ideas |
| This concept isn't that obvious, but this can | | | | being discussed. How will a machine |
| give translators some trouble. | | | | translator know which sense of a word is |
| | | | being used, especially if that word has many |
| At basic levels of French, most are taught | | | | homonyms? Looking at the context (or |
| the verb obtenir ("to get"). But which sense | | | | surrounding words) is somewhat useful, but it |
| of the word "get" is really used here? | | | | is not always fool-proof. Only a human being |
| Obtenir is used when something is acquired | | | | can determine what the best translation is. |
| (it looks like the English word obtain). A | | | | |