I find Malinowski's work with the Trobriand islanders to raise many questions about the practicality of language and the influence of culture that are often not considered; even though Agar dismisses it (likely due to the lack of circle that he loves so much). The art of translation is a tricky one, and for the most part impossible. In a culture such as the Trobriand where the main goal of language is to get something accomplished in a given situation how is an outsider ever to understand? In order to translate, every aspect of the situation is needed such as why , when, where, who, and the goal or more simply the context of situation. This makes me think a little of a culture I once heard of that only distinguishes between light and dark colors. They achieve their goals with this simplistic differentiation, which we have a difficult time understanding. In a case like this, translation can simply not occur. So, should we even try?
It's very interesting that it may be more situational (as it often is within ones own language) than cultural in being able to translate and understand correctly. How does this not apply to all languages? Does this doom us as distant language learners? What can we learn about other languages by looking at practical use rather than cultural differences?