谈谬误就要从概念谈起。概念是逻辑思维的起点，如果概念不正确，要想翻译得正确是不可能的。就翻译而言，概念错误大都发生于关键词的理解谬误。理解谬误当然可能是词义的理解的错误或误差，功夫在词义辨析。中国典籍翻译中的差错大都属于这一类，因为古代词语常常不易理解，译者必须下许多辨析功夫，包括查证疏解词义的注疏集。以下例一引自屈原《天问》及其英译。

[例一]

SL.(1) 惊女采薇，鹿何侑?

SL.(2) 北至回水，萃何喜？

SL (1) —TL (1):

When the maid warned them not to pick ferns, how did the deer help them?

SL (2) -TL (2):

When they went north to the whirling water, why were they glad to gather there?

英译TL（1）中将“侑”译成“help”是不妥的。按考证“侑”同“佑”，侑食是劝食，侑酒是劝酒（亦称“侑觞”：周密《齐东野语》卷二十：张功甫豪侈“‘名姬’执板奏歌侑觞”）。“侑食”就是陪侍以助进食，见《周礼·天官·膳夫》：“以乐侑食；”《礼记》上也说：“凡侑食，不尽食。”因此“鹿何侑”？意思是：“why did the(white)deer persuade them to eat?”?此问上半句“惊女采薇”的TL(1）也有概念上的问题。“惊女”的句法结构是“女惊”（SV）这一点英译是对的，但“惊”的意思不是“warned”而是“get scared”或“get frightened”，全句的意思是：“The maid got scared at the sight of the two men (the brother Po I and Shu Ch'i) when she was picking ferns in the mountain.”上例TL（2）中“北上回水”中的“回水”不是“the whirling water”。回水是古中原地名，在今陕西岐山一带。专名意译也属于概念上的差错。

在中国诗词名作翻译中西方译者常犯的错误大都源于自己主观的逻辑分析。例如李白的诗《访戴天山道土不遇》云：

[例二]

犬吠水声中  桃花带雨浓

树深时见鹿  溪午不闻钟

野竹分青霭  飞泉挂碧峰

无人知所去  独倚两三松

弗莱彻（W.J.B.Fletcher）有一译式如下：

I hear the barking of the dogs amidst the water's sound.

The recent rain has washed each stain from all the peach

bloom round.

At times amid the thickest copse a timid deer is seen.

And to the breeze in sparkling seas the bamboos roll in

green.

From yonder verdant peak depends the sheeted waterfall.

At noon's full prime I hear no chime of bells from arboured

hall.

Whether the wandering priest has gone is no one here can

tell.

Against a pine I sad recline and let my heart o'er swell.