1)When something is translated into another language, and sometimes translated back into the original language, and because of differences of the languages some of the original meaning is lost.
2)Whenever someone re-does something in a new medium (for instance, a movie based on a book) and, due to differances between the mediums, some details and the original meaning is not present.
2)"Did you like the new Harry Potter movie?" asked Maria. "No," answered Sharon. "They couldn't include all the details that were in the book because then the movie would be too long. A lot of the characterization and subext was lost in translation."
3)I really liked Lost in Translation. And if you didn't, your opinion can't possibly be worth anything, you must be an idiot or a philistine. No, I didn't just imagine the subtext, it's there and it's very moving!
When someone spots a license plate that is either consists of a standard format or vanity plate & tries to decipher what it could translate to.
To kill time while I am driving, I like to find license plates that I can translate into acronym definition or determine what the douchebag was trying to define, I call it License Plate Translation.
I saw GOOD BFD & figured it may have meant, Good Big Fucking Dick or perhaps GOOD Bad Food Diet... although both are almost as lame.
1 A spell in Harry Potter that scares away dementors, best used when you have a happy memory in your head
2 Not Joking. Expecto Patronum is a Latin word, and, can you guess what it is? In English it is, "I await a Guardian"
1: Harry: Expecto Patronum!
Ron: Wow, Harry, that was brilliant!
2: Jim: Expecto Patronum!
Latin Dude who knows English: You await a guardian?!(expecto patronum (actual translation))
Jim: WHATT???
Latin Dude: Expecto Patronum...oh harry potter..
Jim: i..await..a..guardian????....