Deutscher
I find Deutscher's essay quite interesting as it explores a concept that I've been curious about. Being bilingual, when it comes to speaking or expressing ideas, in one language it's a simple expression but in another language, it can long and winded explanation. I do agree that by simply not having a word to describe a concept, it doesn't mean we are incapable of understanding that concept. The limitations of language only define the limitations of language, not limitations of our perception of the world. However, language and body expression are the few ways we can express ourselves and if language falls short on us trying to externalize our experience of the world, it can be hard to express exactly how we feel. This is why I feel music is so popular because it adds a second sense (hearing) into describing our realities. There's no need to fret however since language is forever growing with new words and "slang" arising constantly. I find the discussion on grammatical genders quite interesting too since it reminds me of a friend who is studying French who has to constantly guess and memorize the gender of inanimate objects.
Schleiermacher
In Schleiermacher's methods of translation, he offers two kinds -- one on bringing the reader closer to the writer and the other, vise versa. I definitely agree with the first method of bring the reader closer to the writer by helping the reader get as close as possible to the true intentions of the writer by maintaining "the same image" the translator had gotten when reading the original work. I think modifying expressions, references, and subtle nuances to fit to the culture of the translated language rather than the original completely ruins a book. Why not just read a book written by an English speaking writer then? When Tengu gets translated as goblin and takoyaki becomes octopus fritter, I feel like it translates into a very different image in your head.
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