How Does the Universal Translator Decide What to Translate?

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In an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Worf experiences déjà vu during a poker game and uses a Klingon term, suggesting he is fluent in both Klingon and English. The discussion raises questions about the language capabilities of alien crew members, noting that all aliens appear to speak English due to the universal translator, which has become the de facto language of the Federation. Spock's mixed heritage is highlighted, with his human mother contributing to his bilingualism. The conversation also touches on the implications of universal translators on language mastery and communication, questioning what would happen if the technology failed. Ultimately, the complexities of language and translation in the Star Trek universe illustrate the challenges of communication across cultures.
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KenJackson said:
That raises another issue with the UT, since we're questioning how it works. It's quite common for English speakers to use foreign phrases for effect. But the sentence would loose something if the UT translated the phrase. So how does it know to NOT translate "a priori", "voilà", "quid pro quo", "je ne sais quoi" or "c'est la vie"?

Similarly, I sometimes watch foreign films with English subtitles and I'm amused to hear vulgarity in English. Apparently that's common practice. Since they're swearing in English it's not clear what the UT should do with it.

Perhaps the UT is programmed to ignore certain phrases? Or maybe it's simply programmed to not translate mixed-language sentences. Or the programming heuristics are "smart" enough to know when to allow a phrase like this to go by un-translated. We are talking about 24th century technology, after all. Compare computer programming technology today to computer programming in 1917, then multiply by 3.
 

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