[JamesSwift]

Translation = words + intent. Literal translation frequently loses the intent encoded into the chosen language, especially for creative writing. If I translate "youre a real piece of work" literally into another language, Ive likely lost the entire point of the phrase. Should we prefer that translation instead of one that either spells out the underhandedness of the comment in the other language? Or which replaces it with its own approximately similar idiom?

[Someone]

> Translation = words + intent.

Plus style, plus, certainly in the case of the Odyssey, rhythm (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metre_(poetry) ). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey#Narrative_and_language:

“The epic has 12109 lines composed in dactylic hexameter, sometimes called Homeric hexameter—a metre with six metrical feet. The form of hexameter is catalectic, meaning that it lacks an expected syllable in the last foot. Each line has between twelve and seventeen syllables and generally forms a grammatically complete sentence.”

[KineticLensman]

Thiss is a very good example. Consider the difference between "he's hard working" and "he's hard work". My wife ran into this when some German co-workers were describing a colleague.

[JamesSwift]

This also doesnt touch on translation also having an element of the audience in it as well. You see this in debates on what the best translation of the Odyssey is, with some preferring one version for being more "classical" in language and others preferring a more modern take. I would argue they can both be right, as its perfectly valid to choose turns of phrase that the intended audience will understand vs those which they wont. Language evolves over time.