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translate

v. · n.
US //tɹænˈsɫeɪt// UK //tɹænslˈeɪt// trans·late
  1. 1 between languages (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to change words from one language into another language.

    to express the sense of words or text in another language. Transitive when specifying the source or target text.

    Example

    She had to translate the menu for her parents because they didn't speak French.

    Example

    The poet spent years attempting to translate the ancient epic into modern English while preserving the original meter and emotional resonance.
    Pitfall
    Can you translate this book to Spanish?
    Can you translate this book into Spanish?

    Use the preposition 'into' when naming the target language.

  2. 2 to result in (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to change something into a different form or to have a specific result.

    to lead to or manifest as a particular result or state. Often used with the preposition 'into'.

    Example

    Hard work in the gym will eventually translate into better performance on the field.

    Example

    Economists are concerned that the recent increase in raw material costs will eventually translate into higher prices for the average consumer.
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  1. 3 to explain simply (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to explain something difficult in a way that is easier to understand.

    to rephrase or interpret technical or complex information into a simpler or more accessible register.

    Example

    Can you translate this legal document into plain English for me?

    Example

    The consultant's primary role was to translate the engineers' technical jargon into a strategic plan that the board of directors could approve.
  2. 4 to move a shape (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Math

    to move a shape or object to a new position without turning it or changing its size.

    to move a figure or a set of points a fixed distance in a specified direction without rotation or reflection.

    Example

    In the geometry lesson, we learned how to translate a triangle across the graph.

    Example

    To solve the problem, the student had to translate the entire coordinate system along the x-axis to align with the primary vector.
  3. 5 biology/medicine (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    the process in a cell where instructions from genes are used to make proteins.

    to undergo or cause the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in messenger RNA gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids.

    Example

    The cell uses ribosomes to translate genetic code into the proteins our bodies need.

    Example

    The research team investigated how certain environmental toxins might interfere with the cell's ability to translate mRNA accurately during protein synthesis.

  4. 6 mathematical shift (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    a set of points moved by a specific distance and direction.

    the result of a translation; a set of points obtained by adding a fixed vector to each point of a given set.

    Example

    The teacher asked us to find the coordinates for the translate of the square.

    Example

    In Euclidean geometry, any translate of a line is a line parallel to the original.
Origin

From Middle English translaten (“to transport, translate, transform”), from Anglo-Norman translater, from Latin trānslātus, perfect passive participle of trānsferō (“to transport, carry across, translate”). See also -ate (verb-forming suffix). Distant doublet of transfer, see collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. In this sense, displaced Old English wendan (“to translate,” also the word for “to turn” and “to change”).

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