# Best works with the dumbest plot elements **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-works-with-the-dumbest-plot-elements/790326 "2017-07-02T02:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 53
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-works-with-the-dumbest-plot-elements/790326/53 "2017-07-03T14:09:11Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > There’s a much more fundamental flaw in Darmok which reflects a misunderstanding of how language works. That is, if you speak solely in metaphors, they stop being metaphors. > > The universal translator should have been able to translate the language according to what the intended meaning was, like it does with every other alien language, regardless of what the individual words might have originally literally meant historically. To quote me, from [another thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=701613) because I still don’t know: > [@The Tamarian language makes no sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tamarian-language-makes-no-sense/668240/23): > > I’m curious: imagine the universal translator is up and running when an enemy warship points its guns at the Enterprise; the alien commander announces that he’ll open fire unless our heroes teleport over a bunch of women along with the priceless artifacts being ferried around. _“Yes, sir,”_ says Picard, as Data instead puts a bomb in the container on the transporter pad; _“I’ll send the Trojan Horse this very minute. I’m ever so glad we can settle this peacefully; trusting us is your Achilles’ heel.”_ > > What does the alien hear? --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-works-with-the-dumbest-plot-elements/790326)._