Full Idea
Studying the criteria of translation is a way of focusing on criteria of identity for conceptual schemes.
Gist of Idea
Criteria of translation give us the identity of conceptual schemes
Source
Donald Davidson (The Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme [1974], p.184)
Book Reference
Davidson,Donald: 'Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation (2nd ed)' [OUP 2001], p.184
A Reaction
This is why it was an inspired idea of Quine's to make translation a central topic in philosophy. We must be cautious, though, about saying that the language is the conceptual scheme, as that leaves animals with no scheme at all.