Untranslatability of notions

It happens too often that there exists a given notion in one particular language (source lg) that has no legitimate equivalent in the other language (target lg). The possible reason may be lack of sufficient terminology in a given field in this particular language. Or is the structure of the language itself to blame?

Let's take the example of one of the psychological terms: ''commitment device'' that I've recently come across (Daniel Goldstein, The Battle Between Your Present and Future Self, TED Talks). The English version of Wikipedia gives quite satisfactory account of what is hidden behind the term:

Journalist Stephen J. Dubner and Economist Steven Levitt define a commitment device as "a means with which to lock yourself into a course of action that you might not otherwise choose but that produces a desired result". Put differently, a commitment device is "[a] way to change one’s own incentives to make an otherwise empty promise credible". It is a technique where someone makes it easier for themselves to avoid akrasia (acting against one's better judgement), particularly procrastination.

As we read further, the term "commitment device" is used in both economics and game theory. In particular, the concept is relevant to the fields of economics and especially the study of decision making (Brocas, et al.). "Commitment devices are a way to overcome the discrepancy between an individual’s short-term and long-term preferences- in other words, they are a way for self-aware people to modify their incentives or set of possible choices in order to overcome impatience or other irrational behavior. You know the story of Ulysses tying himself to the mast so that he couldn’t be lured in by the song of the Sirens? You can think of that as the quintessential commitment device" (Beggs 2009).

Examples of commitment devices abound. Dubner and Levitt give the example of Han Xin, a general in ancient China, who positioned his soldiers with their backs to a river, making it impossible for them to flee, and thereby leaving them no choice but to attack the enemy head-on. They also present various commitment devices related to weight-loss (2007). In addition, some game theorists have argued that human emotions and sense of honor are forms of commitment device (Arslan 2011 & Ross and Dumouchel 2004).

The article on ''commitment device'' gives us a good enough overview and introduces the very idea of what is meant by this concept. Still, a Polish translator is facing a serious challenge as to how render the item in question into the target language. This is just one of the numerous examples of cases where the Polish readers have to satisfy themselves with half-baked ideas and ad hoc solutions provided by the translators because either the field has not been explored sufficiently and there is no legit equivalent or the English version is less verbose and clumsy. 

Possible renditions of ''commitment device'' into Polish:

- motywator

-czynnik zobowiązujący do pożądanego działania

The Charm of Nicknames

The word 'nickname' is first recorded in 15th century as 'an eke name' ('eke' meaning 'also' in Old English) and was used to refer to an additional name given to express attitude of familiarity, affection or ridicule (D. Crystal, 'The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language'). It is not surprising that people have names but it may be a little mind-boggling that all the US States and many business areas have their nicknames too, e.g. 'Silicon Valley' in Calfornia, 'Motown' for Detroit, 'Emerald Isle' for Ireland, 'Red Planet' for Mars etc. There are even nicknames based on nicknames such as 'Costa Geriatrica' used to refer to coastal town in southern England where many retired elderly people live. Among 'nicknamed' objects there are flags ('Jolly Roger') and newspapers ('Thunderer' for 'The Times' of London).

No no-brainers allowed: Typical American

Ever wondered what is exactly meant by 'back-seat driver' or 'double-whammy'? Or what to do when somebody wants you NOT to 'gild the lily'? 

So let's cut to the chase and visit 160 Phrases Coined in the USA, which provide a top-notch guide to plethora of useful phrases that would hardly come in handy outside the USA. But it is their origin that would probably dazzle you most. After all, what you see is what you get. 

Try your hand at some of the trickiest ones:

1. Acid test

2. Bats in the belfry

3. Bunny boiler

4. Heebie-jeebies

Solutions:

1. A sure test, giving an incontestable result.

2. Crazy, eccentric (So, in 1920s they preferred to say 'Are you bats?' instead of 'Are you nuts?' and call someone 'batty' instead of 'dotty')

3. An obsessive and dangerous female, in pursuit of a lover who has spurned her. (Fatal Attraction rings a bell?)

4. A feeling of anxiety, apprehension or illness.

A Hairy Situation: Towhead

While reading Duma Key by Stephen King, I came across a quirky-looking word 'towhead'. I was curious not only to work out the meaning but also to learn about the etymology as 'head' and 'tow' are quite hard to combine even in metaphorical way. On the Washington Post website there is a pretty convincing explanation why blond-haired people are referred to as 'towheads':

 In colonial times, families grew their own flax to make into fabric for clothing. Transforming the flax into thread was a complicated, involved process with many time-consuming steps. After the flax was harvested, it was soaked in water for several days to soften it so the inner fibers could be removed from the stalk. To separate the long, thin fibers from the shorter, coarser ones, the flax was pulled through a bed of nails or combed in a process called 'towing'. The shorter fibers that were extricated were of a lesser quality and were called 'tow'. This led to the term 'towheads' to describe people, particularly children, whose hair resembled these strands.

MerriamWebster.com  dates 'tow' to the 14th century and states that its origin is "Middle English, from Old English tow-spinning." However, Urbandictionary.com states that the meaning of 'tow' comes from Middle Low German 'touw' (which means "flax, hemp fiber"). This probably went back to the prehistoric Germanic base *tow-, *taw 'make', 'prepare' (source also of English tool), in the sense "make yarn from wool; spin".