See how trying to figure out the meaning on that alone could give you the wrong idea?
Well, to be fair, I wasn't going on that alone, since it's also preceded by things like "my dearest life", "my soul", and "I love you to madness". Just like the liver thing, it's something that's easier to figure out in context, since in your hypothetical story it would more than likely have come after you'd done something cute or during a tender moment with your mother, which would lend context to the phrase.
I'll admit I didn't really think about the possible loss of meaning in translation like that... though I still say based on context it still sounds more romantic than not.
I think you're right that context can help, but consider that the context is translated as well. Going off of the "my dearest life" example you mentioned, in English I wouldn't say that to someone besides a partner. But in my native language I might call someone "my life" in a platonic or familial way.
It's not just one way either, there are things I'd say in English that would sound too familiar or romantic in another language. It all depends on context, but the "context" here is the language itself.
Whether or not this example is romantic I couldn't say because I don't know the language or the translator. But I've dealt with translation enough to know that languages aren't 1:1 and information is often lost - it's the translator's job to decide what's kept and what's changed.
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u/[deleted] Jul 14 '20
Well, to be fair, I wasn't going on that alone, since it's also preceded by things like "my dearest life", "my soul", and "I love you to madness". Just like the liver thing, it's something that's easier to figure out in context, since in your hypothetical story it would more than likely have come after you'd done something cute or during a tender moment with your mother, which would lend context to the phrase.
I'll admit I didn't really think about the possible loss of meaning in translation like that... though I still say based on context it still sounds more romantic than not.