overtranslate

English

Etymology

From over- +‎ translate.

Verb

overtranslate (third-person singular simple present overtranslates, present participle overtranslating, simple past and past participle overtranslated)

1. To translate (language) in too much detail, or including the translation of things that should be left as they are.
   • 1974, American Translators Association, State University of New York at Binghamton. Translation Center, Translators and translating: selected essays from the American Translators Association summer workshops, 1974, page 8:

     When we select too-specific a rendering, we overtranslate, and, thus, risk adding information which may not be true.

   • 2010, John Yunker, The Art of the Global Gateway: Strategies for Successful Multilingual Navigation, Byte Level Books, →ISBN, page 86:

     Translate the gateway, but don't overtranslate

   • 2010, Eleanor Dickey, Anna Chahoud, Colloquial and Literary Latin, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 179:

     To overtranslate: 'as far as my having slaves is concerned, I have – none'.

Translations

translate in too much detail

•  Chinese:

   Mandarin: 過譯／过译 (guòyì)

•  Finnish: kääntää liikaa
•  French: surtraduire (fr)
• Polish: przesadnie tłumaczyć impf, przesadnie przetłumaczyć pf

Anagrams

• transelevator