If you insert the word (moonlighting) into Google translation, the result in Arabic will be the light of the moon, which is a literal translation of this word. 

Moonlighting is a term used to describe the work a person takes on the side, outside the official hours, to achieve an additional income.

If you don't comprehend what this term means, you might face some misunderstanding.

Otherwise, to fully grasp the word, you shall not only know its literal meaning but its actual one. And that manifests more than anything in translation. The translator's function isn’t to use a dictionary to translate each word blindly but to convey the meaning of the sentences or what it feels.

That can only be accomplished with a clear understanding of the nature of the source and targeted language and the culture surrounding them.

In this article, we will clarify the concepts of literal and meaningful translation. And We hope you enjoy it.

What is Literal Translation?

A literal translation is when you translate each word separately in the same order. A word equals a word. Two words equal two! And so on.

The huge flaw of this type of translation is it causes misunderstanding, especially in idioms and cultural topics. Each culture has its particular texture and motifs that relate to its past and present.

I remember watching a video, and the presenter used the sentence. It’s just a Bizzaro world. For a second, I thought Bizzaro is an adjective. It turns out to be an American fictional character, emerged in 1958, and has been portrayed as the antagonist of a superman.

Now, Bizzaro means something surreal and fantastic. But what if the translator didn't dig deep into those cultural roots of this world? A different meaning would be created, or there will not be meaning at all. The audience has no clue about who is bizzaro?!

Another funny example I got of American songs. When I heard the sentence: I’m blue, my mind translates it literally to a blue-skinned person. Thus wondered, why the skin turns blue after separation in America. I have no clue that blue is a state, not a color. And it means sad, melancholic.

What is Meaningful Translation?

In meaningful meaning, the order of words does not matter. You can alter it, fiddle with it. As long as it carries the same meaning as the original text, you are free to do what is right.

Meaningful translation pays more attention to the context of words. The job of translation is achieving communication through transferring meanings, not isolated chunks of words.

To figure out the meaning, you should pay attention not just to what a particular word means generally but to what does it gesture in such a context? What feelings lurk into it? What effects does it induce?

When we translate sentences, the context is the core of the process. The context includes anything: the personality of the speaker and addresser, their reciprocal feelings between them, the degree of formality, and the absence or appearance of what they are speaking about

For more clarification, have a look at those three words: father, daddy, pop. Though they refer to the same physical object -the male parent- .they have many different meanings in various contexts. Thus, a meaningful translation should regard the context in which words are structured.

“To have another language is to possess a second soul."

Charlemagne

What are the advantages of literal translation?

Most people who contradict literal translation see it as meaningless rubbish. But are they true?

I don't think so, at least from my point of view. Here we give a brief about the ; good and bad points of it. Look at the advantages first.

• A considerable benefit of literal translation is its ability to reproduce a large volume of works immediately. Thus, Literal translation can be useful in ASAP projects where quick delivery of the translated text offsets low quality.

• Also, the literal translation is advantageous for language learners as it allows them to break down the structure in the source language. That makes students learn grammatical rules faster. I
• It has proven a way for expanding their words in the source language. Since students translate each word slowly, those words stick to their minds for later usage.

So, what are the disadvantages?

Frankly, I think they are more. But I just wrote two.

• Sometimes, literal translation clouds the meaning and produces odd-sounding phrases, especially in the highly-complicated sentences. For example, this one: drops dead gorgeous. If translated literally in any language, it will confuse the listener.

• The inability of literal translation to transfer the cultural symbols is one of its noticeable shortcomings. Each culture has its specialties which give it a distinction. When neglecting the cultural context, the translation will fail at addressing the feelings of people. (remember biazzaro examples)

A final thought

The function of the translation is to convey the meanings, not words. When the translated text fails at communicating the same message in the source language, it leaves the respondents confused.

 Thus, the translation should be meaningful, not literal, which means it should pay attention to the contextual and cultural fabric of the targeted language.

That doesn’t mean the literal translation has no value. It does. No one can deny its role in language evolution. 10 to 100 times as students quickly learn new words in the targeted language through translation. Also, since it is not complicated like the meaningful, literal translation has proven so time-effective

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Choosing which translation to use has to do with your purpose. Do you want to achieve a high level of communication or broaden your yield of words and feel familiar with grammatical rules in the targeted language?

Once you know your purpose, you shall decide which translation is better to use.