The issue of translation

As Chomsky points out, 'dictionaries do not begin to provide the meanings of words'.

How would you translate into English the Urdu 'takallouf', the Spanish 'duende' or the French 'dépaysement'?

Check out these lists of 'foreign words' that give translators headaches:

http://matadornetwork.com/life/10-foreign-words-we-just-cant-translate/

http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/

http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-more-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/

And if you are a francophile, see here the worst possible translations into French:

http://www.topito.com/top-traductions-merde-francais