I think this is a fascinating subject; and a mysterious one for me as I only speak English. I'm constantly amazed by the skill of the multi-lingual posters on MR.
What intrigues me regarding Zelda's post are:
Why are there no English equivalents for "mièvre" and "niais"? The implication is that there are concepts that are alien to my culture (otherwise English would have an acceptable word to express them too).
Are there really any reasons why a translation can't be better than the original?
When we read a translated book; whose creative work are we experiencing the most? (Have I really read 'War and Peace' if I've only read it in translation?)
When I read a book, I have a voice in my head saying the words to me (inefficient I know
). So what language is that little voice using when a French reader is reading an English text?
Tricky stuff language; I'd really like to know more about the experiences of multi-lingual readers - and this seems a good place to ask
.