History Main / TranslatorMicrobes

* ''VideoGame/HighOnLife'': The galactic community ''intentionally'' spread translator microbes like the plague; all it takes to communicate with an entirely new alien species (i.e. you) is to spit on them.

* Explicitly used in ''VideoGame/HighOnLife'', where the game starts out with your stolen [[EquippableAlly living alien gun]] spitting these onto you so that you can understand him and all other aliens in the game. Said microbes are also highly contagious, allowing everyone to understand each other within a few minutes of exposure. These translators are especially effective, being able to translate not only expressions and idioms but even translate alien celebrities and media into their Earth counterparts, allowing aliens to make pop-culture references. They explicitly state that you are hearing a different name and quote than the one they are saying, but the translator is able to cover it so that you get the same idea.

* ''Fanfic/TheDragonKingsTemple'': When you pass through a Stargate, it somehow uploads basic proficiency with the dominant language of your destination world. This does, however, depend on having a complete language pack on both ends, which can cause some issues. Gates which aren't used for a while tend to go into standby mode instead of collecting languages, so if you are going to a world that hasn't been used in a while, it won't have an up-to-date language pack to download. Conversely, if your gate hasn't been used in a while, the Gate won't understand your language well enough to make you proficient in the new language. And if you're going from one offworld gate to another the pack for your home language won't be available, and the best you'll get is a partial update building off the already incomplete update for the world you are currently on.

* Mok Shaiz from ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'' is similar to ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'' where you hear his alien gurgling and a computerised voice speaking English a split second later. He's better than most ''Franchise/StarWars'' examples where at best there'll be a TranslatorBuddy robot repeating everything.

* ''Fanfic/IWokeUpAsADungeonNowWhat'': For some reason, Taylor hears and reads everything as English, no matter the actual language. Later on in the series, a pair of magic spectacles that grant the same power are introduced.

* ''Fanfic/TheDragonKingsTemple'': When you pass through a Stargate, it somehow uploads basic proficiency with the dominant language of your destination world. This does, however, depend on having a complete language pack on both ends, which can cause some issues. Gates which aren't used for a while tend to go into standby mode instead of collecting languages, so if you are going to a world that hasn't been used in a while, it won't have an up-to-date language pack to download. Conversely, if your gate hasn't been used in a while, the Gate won't understand your language well enough to make you proficient in the new language. And if you're going from one offworld gate to another, the pack for your home language won't be available, and the best you'll get is a partial update building off the already incomplete update for the world you are currently on.

* In ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'', Azusa dies in modern, mundane Japan and is reincarnated into a MedievalEuropeanFantasy world. Among other beneficial perks, she is capable of understanding, reading, writing, and speaking the local language straight away.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': Although it is generally not used (due to a combination of all life forms that the crew meets being from Earth and Kryten having studied almost every dialect known to man), "Epideme" reveals that there is a universal translator on board the ship, which the crew uses to communicate with Epideme (an intelligent virus who intends to kill Lister).

* Explicitly referenced in ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' where V is mentioned to have a translator implant. When characters speak in non-English languages, the subtitles will show the speech in its original language before changing the text to English in real-time. There is also a segment where V encounters a relatively rare language (Haitian Creole) and needs to download a language pack to understand what is being spoken.

* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'': Sin-Eaters bypass the language barrier entirely when they [[ISeeDeadPeople speak with ghosts]], courtesy of the [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Geists]] that [[PowersViaPossession bond to their souls and fuel their powers]].

* In the isekai ''LightNovel/CookingWithWildGame'', one of the few magical elements in the setting is that Asuta and Ai Fa can understand each other perfectly. Well, almost perfectly -- she can't pronounce his surname very well.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Fractured}}'', a ''Franchise/MassEffect''[=/=]''Franchise/StarWars''[[spoiler:[=/=]''[=Borderlands=]'']] [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover crossover]], the ''absence'' of these is actually a plot point--while the Citadel species have had them for years, only the [[EternalEnglish humans]] make any sense to the Trans-Galactic Republic [[spoiler:It may be because the Eridians had a hand in it]]. Combining asari MindMeld with technology eliminates the language barrier, taking us to TranslationConvention instead as everyone continues to speak their own language but it is rendered in English for the reader.

* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed'', a majority of the dialogue takes place in genetic memories being relived by the protagonist, Desmond, but the Animus renders all of the Arabic, Italian, etc. into understandable English for him (and the player). The frequent lapses into GratuitousForeignLanguage are explained as 'malfunctions'. At one point his kidnappers say that they could revert everything back to period appropriate dialects, but that it wouldn't do you much good unless Desmond had "read Chaucer."

** ''Film/AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania'' has a different kind of translator. The Quantum Realm inhabitant Veb (and presumably others of his species) produces a type of pink ooze that when drank allows you to understand the language spoken in the Quantum Realm.

* The "Gift of Languages" is a built-in perk of being reincarnated as a devil in ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD''. Issei notes that he's had to start fudging his English classes so the teacher doesn't ask questions. It doesn't extend to written words, though, as a couple of native English speakers comment they're still studying literacy despite being "fluent" when speaking.

* Yuuri of ''LightNovel/KyoKaraMaoh'' cannot understand a word anyone is saying to him in the magical world at first, until he gets zapped with language magic ([[MST3KMantra or something]]) and then he can understand everyone perfectly.

** Servants, being spirits of mythical heroes summoned in the modern day, are supplied with all the knowledge they need to function in the modern day upon their summoning so that they won't suffer from things like culture shock. Amongst this knowledge is the ability to speak any human language, allowing Servants to communicate with their Masters as well as other Servants no matter the language spoken (most often Japanese, because the Holy Grail War takes place in a Japanese city). In a drama CD taking place during ''LightNovel/FateZero'', the British Waver Velvet finds himself unable to understand the Japanese Taiga Fujimura, because neither of them can speak the other's language. Waver gets around his issue by having his Servant, Rider, act as an interpreter.

* In the ''LightNovel/{{Overlord|2012}}'' light novels, Momonga notes that he can hear the denizens of the New World speak in Japanese even though their lips move differently and concluded that some magical force must be translating, though it doesn't translate their written language. Momonga does own a pair of Magic Glasses that let him read the local language.

* Sora and Shiro in ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife'' note that the humans in Disboard speak in Japanese but the written language is different. They quickly learn how to read it in an hour. Though Jibril does state that there are over 700 languages in Disboard which she knows how to translate and Izuna was noted to have just recently learned how to speak in their language.

** [spoiler:Salem]] is capable of magic that translates language for a group without the need of telepathy.

* ''Fanfic/DailyEquestriaLifeWithMonsterGirl'': The ''device'' Cerea is given reaches down to the very ''concept'' of language, allowing the wearer to understand any tongue and herself be understood by anyone who hears her. It's stated that this is very powerful and difficult magic: only five of these true translators exist, with the most recently made still being over three centuries old. And even then the translation is somewhat imperfect: Cerea will frequently hear multiple overlapping words as the ''device'' struggles to find the closest equivalent to a specific term. There are also lesser translators that are easier to make, but which can only translate between specific pre-encoded languages (and which require that the caster speak all the languages involved).

* In the ''[[LightNovel/Overlord2012 Overlord]]'' light novels, Momonga notes that he can hear the denizens of the New World speak in Japanese even though their lips move differently and concluded that some magical force must be translating, though it doesn't translate their written language. Momonga does own a pair of Magic Glasses that let him read the local language.
* Unlike many TrappedInAnotherWorld works, ''LightNovel/WelcomeToJapanMsElf'' averts this. The only reason Kazuhiro can communicate with other fantasy denizens in the other world is because he spent nearly 2 decades in that world and had time to learn various languages. When he brought Marie to Japan, Marie is unable to communicate with other Japanese and has to be slowly taught Japanese by Kazuhiro.

* In ''LightNovel/TheSaintsMagicPowerIsOmnipotent'', Sei and Aira, two women brought from earth, can instantly understand the language of the European medieval fantasy kingdom, Slantania. They can speak fluently and without issue and even any written language is conveniently turned to Japanese. This is particularly useful for languages that even locals have issues with, like the Ancient Script used for foundational magical books.
* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'':

* The novelization to ''[[Film/FlashGordon1980 Flash Gordon]]'' mentions that Emperor Ming had the local language "beamed" into Flash and co.'s heads as their ship was landing on Mongo.

** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', there is a FreezeFrameBonus demonstrating this trope when Peter Quill is being put into the system. The screen the prison guards are looking at notes that Peter's implanted helmet has a translation circuit in it. Other than Groot's language, it seems to work rather well. Presumably TranslationConvention is in place for all scenes that Peter is not present. In fact, WordOfGod has confirmed that most space-faring sorts in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse have two-way universal translators embedded in their bodies.

* In ''Literature/TheFantasticFlyingJourney'', Great-Uncle Perceval's grey powder provides the users with the ability to communicate fluently with [[AnimalTalk animals]].

* The ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' novels mention an Unrestricted Spell that performs this task; presumably, everyone is just using ''that'' all the time.

* [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in ''VideoGame/SydneyHunterAndTheCurseOfTheMayan''. When Sydney first enters the temple, whenever he tries talking to locals, he can't understand their language. They start speaking English after Sydney gets the Shell Of Wisdom, and Sydney assumes that the shell is working. The Mayan near the entrance to the temple of Chichen Itza, however, reveals that the shell is just a regular old shell, the Mayans can speak perfect English, and they just like to mess with outsiders.

* [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] and played with in the first "Peabody's Improbable History" episode from ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''. When Peabody first invents the WABAC, he and Sherman take it back to ancient Rome, where the meet a man speaking in Latin (and ignoring them). Peabody adjusts the machine, so that now they can hear the Roman speaking English; turns out he's a used chariot salesman (who is still ignoring them). Peabody makes one final adjustment, so that the historical characters they meet will interact with them. As Peabody puts it, "Not history as it was, but as it ''should have been''."

* Blue Beetle in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' has this as one of his [[SwissArmyWeapon many]] functions. Unusually for most examples, you can still hear the actual speech, the translation is just at a slightly higher volume.