Led Zeppelin warned us about the perils of misunderstood communications in relationships. Failing to translate what we are trying to say or do so that someone else gets it is the root of so many problems. But translation is a fantastic find when it goes right. Here are some things I’ve learned about translating meaning from a lifetime of speaking numerous languages, practicing a wide array of martial arts, and communicating science.
Meaning or intention?
"Das ist nicht mein Bier" is an expression I learned while taking German 101 in 1988 as an undergraduate. We were taught it was a Bavarian colloquialism meaning "that’s not my problem." Literally, the words say, "That is not my beer." This trivial expression was something I have kept in mind ever since. It was a game-cha…
Led Zeppelin warned us about the perils of misunderstood communications in relationships. Failing to translate what we are trying to say or do so that someone else gets it is the root of so many problems. But translation is a fantastic find when it goes right. Here are some things I’ve learned about translating meaning from a lifetime of speaking numerous languages, practicing a wide array of martial arts, and communicating science.
Meaning or intention?
"Das ist nicht mein Bier" is an expression I learned while taking German 101 in 1988 as an undergraduate. We were taught it was a Bavarian colloquialism meaning "that’s not my problem." Literally, the words say, "That is not my beer." This trivial expression was something I have kept in mind ever since. It was a game-changer for how I thought about communication and translation. It’s about meaning and context and understanding culture, not just about words. Keeping this in mind has served me very well when trying to communicate and navigate cultures, especially during interactions with Japanese colleagues and martial artists. It’s always about what the intention is, not just what was said, asked, or stated.
Translating intention
I have studied a variety of martial arts in my lifetime, dabbling in about 9 traditions and diving more deeply into 6 martial arts from Japan, Okinawa, and China. I am fascinated by how similar concepts are expressed in different martial arts. It’s about movement, not words, but it really is an issue of translation and communication. It’s just that instead of translating a question like "what train are you trying to catch" it becomes one of "how are you going to defend against this punch coming at your face"? It is all about functional representation and how this is maintained in different forms across cultures and traditions.
Also the language used to describe physical actions needs nuance. Martial arts (Kung Fu) spread from China to strongly influence Okinawan (Toudi) and Japanese (Karate) traditions. But key core concepts seem to have been dropped along the way. For instance, total body power is a critical variable in the mastery of martial arts. In Japanese Karate, and subsequently most North American and European representations, there is a fixation on "the hips," which at first glance seems to hark back to recommendations from Chinese martial arts. Yet as I tried to reconcile teachings in Okinawan and Japanese Karate with my more recent experiences with Chinese Bagua Zhang, Xing Yi Chuan and Wing Chun Kuen, I discovered a disconnect. We blithely say "hips" which is actually meant to be "waist". And in many Chinese writings and teachings, "waist" means from just below the ribs to just above the knees. This hugely alters teaching and training and renders them much more functional. It comes down to shifting from asking "what was said" to the more useful "what was meant".
It’s a matter of perspective
Over the years I have done a pretty extensive amount of science communication in blog posts, podcasts, interviews, and books. Science communication at its core is about taking concepts many find difficult to understand and rephrasing them in such a way that they are engaging and accessible. I think the key to that is making sure people are interested in a bridging metaphor, which is why so much of my writing has focused on using superheroes as vehicles for transfer and science translation. But a key thing I had to learn when I wrote a young adult book was to avoid the trap of just simplifing language instead of trying to understand a very different perspective. When I give talks about science communication, I illustrate this point by literally walking into the audience seating area, turning around and sitting there. This is the perspective you have to adopt if you want to be on the other side effectively sharing knowledge.
If we really want to be understood, we have to authentically appreciate and engage with the perspective of those we are trying to reach. This is why simple language translation like that found in "Google Translate" and the like fail so often. They provide literal translations that miss the subtlety of context and functional meaning.
The main take away here is that if we truly want people to understand us, we must try to understand them and communicate in a way that they respect, appreciate, and understand. If we do that, our meaning truly won’t get lost in translation and we will gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and those we are hoping to reach.
(c) E. Paul Zehr (2026)
*Special thanks to Richard Mosdell and Kenzen Karate Dojo in Victoria, BC for assistance with the photos used here.
References
Zehr EP. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility-A Personal Philosophy for Communicating Science in Society. eNeuro. 2016 Sep 8;3(5):ENEURO.0200-16.2016. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0200-16.2016. PMID: 27642632; PMCID: PMC5016001.
Zehr EP. Is there Wing Chun DNA in Okinawan Karate? 2026 January Issue 88: Wing Chun Illustrated Magazine.