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translation theory

When the Same Author Writes Two Different Women: A Song, a Translation, and a Lost Perspective
When the Same Author Writes Two Different Women: A Song, a Translation, and a Lost Perspective
The Language of Songs

When the Same Author Writes Two Different Women: A Song, a Translation, and a Lost Perspective

The Language of Songs Series | Song Translation, Meaning and Perspective Sometimes a translation changes words. Sometimes it changes rhythm. Sometimes it changes culture. And sometimes it changes the person speaking. That is when a translation stops being a translation and becomes a different work. Recently, I found myself comparing two versions of the same […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
• 02.06.2026 • 4 min read
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translation theory

You Can’t Translate a Feeling: Naming a Song Across Languages | LEVITIN SCHOOL
25.03.2026

You Can’t Translate a Feeling: Naming a Song Across Languages

Translation Theory and Cultural Meaning

Before choosing a language to learn, explore all available options here:https://levitintymur.com/#languages Language often teaches us something unexpected: words can be translated, but states of mind cannot. This became clear to me during a conversation with a young songwriter who was preparing to perform a track at a concert in Switzerland. The song contained a simple […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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When Letters Become Cultural Objects: Orthographic Realia in Translation | LEVITIN SCHOOL
21.03.2026

When Letters Become Cultural Objects: Orthographic Realia in Translation

Translation Theory and Cultural Meaning

Why Unique Letters Are Not Just Symbols — but Cultural Markers Language learners are often told that translation problems arise mostly from vocabulary. Words like samovar, Bundestag, or hygge are commonly used to illustrate what translation theory calls realia — cultural elements that exist in one linguistic environment but do not have an exact equivalent […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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Why Translating the “Aeneid” Is More Than Words: From Virgil to Kotliarevsky | LEVITIN SCHOOL
11.08.2025

Why Translating the “Aeneid” Is More Than Words: From Virgil to Kotliarevsky

Author’s Column | Tymur Levitin on Language, Meaning and Respect

🔗 Choose your language: https://levitintymur.com/#languages🇬🇧 English Courses at Levitin Language School🇩🇪 German Courses at Levitin Language School🇺🇦 Learn Ukrainian A Journey Across Centuries and Languages When Virgil wrote the Aeneid in Latin over two thousand years ago, his goal was not just to tell a story of Aeneas. He was building a national epic — a cultural foundation for Rome, full of […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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Translating Literary Identity: A Cross-Language Study of Salinger and Remarque | LEVITIN SCHOOL
07.07.2025

Translating Literary Identity: A Cross-Language Study of Salinger and Remarque

Author’s Column | Tymur Levitin on Language, Meaning and Respect

Author: Tymur Levitin, founder of Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin Choose your language: https://levitintymur.com/#languages The soul of a character lives in the language When a student asks me why learning English or German matters so much, I often tell them: Because literature doesn’t lie. Real novels reveal how a person thinks. But what […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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From “Patsan” to “Man”: How Language Shapes Male Identity Across Cultures | LEVITIN SCHOOL
01.07.2025

From “Patsan” to “Man”: How Language Shapes Male Identity Across Cultures

Author’s Column | Tymur Levitin on Language, Meaning and Respect

Author’s Column by Tymur LevitinFounder and Director of Levitin Language School / Start Language School by Tymur Levitin “He’s just a kid.”“That guy’s a real man.”“Don’t be a pacan.” We don’t just describe people. We define them. One word can elevate, humiliate, or simply reveal the speaker more than the subject. In this article, I’ll […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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Language and Emotion in Translation: Precision vs. Feeling | LEVITIN SCHOOL
29.06.2025

Language and Emotion in Translation: Precision vs. Feeling

Interesting information

Choose your language Author: Tymur LevitinFounder and Head Teacher at Levitin Language School & Start Language School by Tymur Levitin© Tymur Levitin The real art of translation begins where dictionaries end. As a translator, language teacher, and university instructor with over 22 years of experience, I’ve seen one challenge rise above all others — translating not […]

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Basik the Cat in Translation: A Journey Across Languages and Cultures | LEVITIN SCHOOL
26.06.2025

Basik the Cat in Translation: A Journey Across Languages and Cultures

German

Author: Tymur Levitin — founder, director, translator, and lead teacher at Levitin Language SchoolOfficial School Name: Start Language School by Tymur Levitin / Levitin Language SchoolSlogan: Speak free! Global Learning. Personal Approach. 📍 Choose your language🐾 Learn German | Learn Ukrainian Introduction: Why Translate a Poem about a Cat? Translation is never just about words — it’s about mood, […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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Understanding Realia in Translation: Cultural Nuances Across Languages | LEVITIN SCHOOL
19.05.2025

Understanding Realia in Translation: Cultural Nuances Across Languages

Translation Theory and Practice

🟢 Choose your language: https://levitintymur.com/#languages What Are Realia? In the realm of translation studies, realia refer to culturally specific concepts that often have no direct equivalents in other languages. These are words and expressions deeply rooted in the cultural, social, or historical contexts of a particular linguistic community. The term “realia” is derived from Latin, and despite its plural […]

Tymur Levitin | LEVITIN SCHOOL Tymur Levitin
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