Il volume è un peculiare vocabolario che affianca a ogni parola selezionata, espressa nel suo linguaggio originario, una sua duplice parafrasi: alcune righe di testo che la descrivono per sommi capi e una illustrazione che la rappresenta. La selezione è molto ben curata è dà parecchio da riflettere sui paradossi della traduzione. Partendo dall’italiano, siamo sicuri che sia semplice trasferire in un’altra lingua l’idea espressa dal verbo “commuovere”? Oppure, pensando alla lingua tedesca, come tradurre in una parola il concetto di “kummerspeck”, che indica il processo per cui si assume peso mangiando a causa di un trauma emotivo? O ancora: come rendere appieno l’idea indiana, recentemente popolarizzata dagli studiosi dell’innovazione frugale, di “jugaad”? Questi e altri esempi animano le pagine di Lost in Translation, testo che si lascia sfogliare con piacere accrescendo nel lettore la consapevolezza dell’incommensurabilità fra diverse lingue e culture, insieme al piacere della scoperta e del confronto con il diverso. ( )

I love the cover, the concept, and the artwork. It's a perfect coffee table / gift book. Unfortunately, the illustrated text can sometimes be difficult to read due to size, lack of contrast between the letters and the illustration, or other factors. ( )

This book needs to be experienced in print, as in - on paper.
And I'm not actually sure of it's true value. It's probably nice to have in a library but I would not gift it to anybody, even for the novelty's sake.
It's nice but... *shrug*
Good thing I did not buy it.

FINAL VERDICT : BORROW, NOT BUY ( )

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/lost-in-translation-by-ella-frances-sanders/

This is very easily digestible; a young writer’s collection of fifty words in other languages that she describes as “untranslatable”, while also supplying translations for them. For anyone who speaks more than one language, it’s no surprise that there are ideas that can be expressed more effectively in one language rather than another. In general the ones I already knew raised more of a smile for me than the ones with which I was less familiar. ( )

What a lovely, delightful little book. It charms, amuses, and educates all at once. ( )

This was a fab birthday present from Emily, who probably realises I love both words and comics. I flicked through it happily last year, but have now sat down and deliberately actually *read* it again.

Beautifully illustrated, and full of fascinating facts. I felt like actually a lot of the words felt very translatable to me - if not into single words but into straightforward concepts. The idea of the German word which is literally grief-bacon meaning the weight you put on as a result of comfort eating after a break-up is just perfect. Other concepts are less concrete, and I think it's some of these I love best. Then there are the ones which make sense in a way, but are baffling in others. *Why* is a word for the length of time it takes to eat a banana a useful word? ( )

A nice fun read. I love words, so learning a bunch of unique words from a diversity of languages is just plain fun. ( )

For the lovers of language, Lost in Translation is a compendium of words that lack an English translation; words that were created by other cultures to describe a concept or feeling that would require several words for English speakers to convey.

I think most of us are guilty of tsundoku - the Japanese word for buying books without reading them right away (basically, the Japanese word for "TBR"), and some of us have experienced the Italian commuovere - been moved in a heartwarming way when we've read a story that's brought us to tears. Readers of Tolkien, or just a really brilliantly written story have been to Goya - the Urdu concept of the suspension of disbelief that allows us to lose ourselves in lands with elves, fairies and vampires.

I could go on, there are so many great words here (my favourite might be the Dutch word struisvogelpolitiek, - acting like you don't notice when something bad happens - which is what I've been unable to do today after BookLikes being down 10 hours.) Each word has a two-page spread with the definition, an explanation of usage, and a beautiful illustration.

My only complaint, and what cost the last 1/2 star, is the lack of a phonetic pronunciation guide for each word. I'd really like to know the correct way to pronounce the Welsh Hiraeth (a homesickness for a place you can't return to, or no longer exists). I'm more than a little surprised that it didn't occur to anyone involved to include these.

A great addition to my language shelf and one I'll be referring to again and again. ( )

I am terrible at learning new languages but I do tend to glom onto words or phrases from other languages if I like the way the word rolls off my tongue, or the word seem to be the perfect word to communicate what I am feeling/ thinking/ experiencing. Reading this wonderfully illustrated slim volume, I was reminded of the cultural importance of language. I love how the Finnish have a word, "Poronkusema", to describe the distance a reindeer can comfortably travel before taking a break (which apparently is acknowledged as being around 4.7 miles or 7.5 kilometers). Yes, the word "Tsundoku" - Japanese for leaving a book unread after buying it - can be found in this book! While I doubt that I can find ways to incorporate all of these words into my personal vocabulary, some of my favorite new words are:

Samar (Arabic) - n. Staying up late after the sun has gone down and having an enjoyable time with friends.
Hiraeth (Welsh) - n. A homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to, the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were.
Vacilando (Spanish) - v. Traveling when the experience itself is more important than the destination.
Ubuntu (Nguni Bantu) - n. Essentially meaning "I find my worth in you, and you find your worth in me".
Akihi (Hawaiian) - n. Listening to directions and then walking off and promptly forgetting them. (I do this - go 'akihi' - all the time!)

A delightful read and did I mention that the book is wonderfully illustrated? ;-) ( )

READ IN ENGLISH

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!



When you're, like me, not a native English speaker, you'll probably have encountered some words that don't seem to have an English translation. This booklet has collected some beautiful words out of a lot of different languages that don't have an equivalent in English.



I was of course curious to see what Dutch words Ella Frances Sanders would use, and it's gezellig and struisvogelpolitiek. Some of the other words actually do have a Dutch translation, like for example the Norwegian pålegg. Other words describe something familiar and also show a bit of the culture (in that they made words for them) like the Japanese Tsundoku for being a book but leaving it unread. Then again, the Japanese have a word to say that your hair looks worse áfter a visit to the hairdresser (not included in this book).



It's a very nice booklet to read a few pages at a time of. If you like foreign languages, perhaps you should give it a try. ( )

This is a charming book for so many reasons: cute new words, wonderfully poetical words, a linguistically poignant focus on life, emotionally-packed words, a taste of other cultures' perspectives, and sweet pictures.

It's short, but packs a wallop in terms of refocusing thoughts. It makes you think about how all these other languages have words for concepts we've barely recognized exist. ( )

not really suited to reading on a kindle, as the text in the illustrations is nearly impossible to read. I like the concept, and there are some great words in there, but I couldn't get the full enjoyment due to e reader limitations ( )

not really suited to reading on a kindle, as the text in the illustrations is nearly impossible to read. I like the concept, and there are some great words in there, but I couldn't get the full enjoyment due to e reader limitations ( )

not really suited to reading on a kindle, as the text in the illustrations is nearly impossible to read. I like the concept, and there are some great words in there, but I couldn't get the full enjoyment due to e reader limitations ( )

Here are a few you should add to your personal dictionaries:
gezellig...a positive warm emotion, connoting time spent with loved ones…
meraki...pouring yourself wholeheartedly into something…
fika...gathering to talk and take a break from everyday routines, usually drinking coffee…
hiraeth...a homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to…
ubuntu…”I am what I am because of who we all are”...
luftmensch...a person who is a dreamer…
and, of course…
wabi-sabi...finding beauty in inperfection ( )

* Originally reviewed on the Night Owls Press blog here. *

"In our highly connected and communicative world, we have more ways than ever to express ourselves, to tell others how we feel, and to explain the importance or insignificance of our days. The speed and frequency of our exchanges leave just enough room for misunderstandings, though, and now perhaps more than ever before, what we actually mean to say gets lost in translation. The ability to communicate more frequently and faster hasn't eliminated the potential for leaving gaps between meaning and interpretation, and emotions and intentions are misread all too often.

The words in this book may be answers to questions you didn't even know to ask, and perhaps some you did. They might pinpoint emotions and experiences that seemed elusive and indescribable, or they may cause you to remember a person you'd long forgotten. If you take something away from this book other than some brilliant conversation starters, let it be the realization (or affirmation) that you are human, that you are fundamentally, intrinsically bound to every single person on the planet with language and with feelings."

Writer and illustrator Ella Frances Sanders created a gem with this book. Simple words become poetry in their intangible meanings and ideas. According to Sanders, words like this “reminds us of how inherently human we all are—that we are all made of the same stuff, that we don’t necessarily need fluency in other languages to be able to communicate well."

Some of my favorites:

Tsundoku (Japanese): leaving a book unread after buying it, typically piled up together with other unread books. [Consolation for all us book hoarders.]

Kilig (Tagalog): that tingly, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling. [I get this when I see my cat do something cute.]

Mamihlapinatapai (Yanghan): "the silent acknowledgment and understanding between two people, who are both wishing or thinking the same thing (and are both unwilling to initiate).

Hiraeth (Welsh): a homesickness for somewhere you cannot return to, the nostalgia and the grief for the lost places of your past, places that never were.

Iktsuarpok (Inuit): the feeling of anticipation that leads you to go outside and check if anyone is coming, and probably also indicates an element of impatience.

Goya (Urdu): conveys a contemplative 'as-if' that nonetheless feels like reality, and describes the suspension of disbelief that can occur, often through good storytelling.

Tiam (Farsi): the twinkle in your eye when you first meet someone.

Resfeber (Swedish): the restless beat of a traveler's heart before the journey begins, a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Kalpa (Sanskrit): the passing of time on a grand, cosmological scale.

One could tell stories with just a few of these words.

[Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for an honest and candid review.] ( )

As the title says, there are some words than can't be fitted into a one word definition in any language but their own. This book provides a delightful assortment of such treasures. The selection is terrific (most of these are really interesting words), the (multiword) definitions are illuminating, and the pictures are charming. A few of the words are moving into my permanent vocabulary: how about "kummerspeck" (weight gained from emotional overeating), or "komorebi" (sunlight shining through leaves)? This would make a terrific stocking stuffer or other small present for a language maven. ( )

Lost in Translation by Ella Frances Sanders is a delightful collection of over 50 words that have no direct counterpart in English. With beautiful color illustrations, the book introduces the reader to words from commonly recognized languages like Arabic and French and from little known languages like Wagiman and Nguni Bantu. This book would make a great gift for anyone who loves words and language.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/11/lost-in-translation-illustrated.html

Reviewed based on a copy received from the Blogging for Books program ( )

LOST IN TRANSLATION is a lovely little book that defines and illustrates many words that do not have a precise English equivalent. The collection includes words that are funny, practical, and touching. With every turn of the page, I was smiling or thinking "Ah, ha!" A couple of my favorites:

- The Swedish verb fika, which is a "gathering together to talk and take a break from everyday routines, usually drinking coffee and eating pastries...often for hours on end." Sounds great to me!

- The German noun kabelsalat, which is a "mess of very tangled cables, literally a cable-salad." Yep, seen that.

I found all the words interesting and most of them relatable, even though there is not a clear translation. There's a German word for the extra pounds you put on from emotional eating. *nods* There's a Malay word for the time needed to eat a banana (huh!), and the list goes on.

The presentation was set up with the word, drawing, and definition on a page, and the author's take on the word on the facing page. The illustrations in this book were fun and fanciful. I guess my only complaint was that the font used for definitions was sometimes hard to read, but otherwise I loved the book. Definitely one for my keeper shelf!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This was a lovely little book full of words I'd never heard of before. I recommend it if you're at all interested in language. My only complaint is that sometimes the definitions were drawn in such a way that they were hard to read. But I quibble. ( )

More of a gift-y book than a reading book. There was another one - I'm pretty sure it had "Tingo" in the title - that was much more in depth. This was cute, and there were some nice words. ( )

Words to Indulge the senses

I promised myself before I opened this book that I would not use the word whimsical in my review. Oh well.

Lost in Translation is both warm and fascinating. It’s a small collection of foreign language words that have no equivalent in English. So they need to be explained. And illustrated. They show the preoccupations of other cultures, and the lack of same in ours:

Komorebi, Japanese: the way sunlight is filtered through leaves of trees.
Razliubit, Russian: to fall out of love with something or someone
Kummerspeck, German: the weight gained from emotional overeating.
Gurfa, German: the amount of water that can be held in one hand.
Kafune, Brazilian Portuguese: The act of tenderly running your fingers through the hair of someone you love.

Ella Sanders has produced a lovely, whimsical book that enhances our understanding and our pleasure at the beauty and the power of words. Great illustrations, and great choice of font, too, making the whole book work.

David Wineberg ( )