Loosely translated and dumb down

Loosely translated and dumb down
 

WHat are the differnces between these two expressions ' loosely translated' and' dumb down'?

"Loosely translated" means that the translation is not accurate word-for-word, but attempts to get the overall meaning or information across.

"Dumbed down" has an entirely different purpose in that there is a deliberate attempt to simplify the content, either by using easier and less exact words or avoiding difficult concepts.

Specifically, a text could be dumbed down making it easier for children to understand, or simplifying a (say) scientific programme for a wider audience in TV. Another way of dumbing down something is to remove any offensive content, such as removing swearwords and replacing them with less offensive ones. :)

Interesting isn´t it?

Perhaps you would like to know that another expression similar to "to dumb down" is to bowdlerize, named after a Dr Bowdler who published a version of Shakespeare in 1818 which omitted all the rude bits. Not quite the same as dumbing down, which usually means to be made simpler, not less obscene.