2.3 The Definition of Untranslatability

What’s the definition of untranslatability? Untranslatability refers to the fact that the content and the form of a source text can not be simultaneously and adequately conveyed in any translation. Untranslatability is not unconditioned, eternal and static, but conditioned, variable and dynamic. Untranslatability can be transformed into translatability with various effective translation strategies. Experience tells us that it is easy to express the main meaning of the origin and it is most difficult to reproduce the original style and form. J.C. Catford, an English translation theorist, said, “Broadly speaking, the issue of untranslatability can be explored from linguistic and cultural angles.”