When I heard about the “Live Translation” feature of Apple’s newly released AirPods, what came to mind was my first night out in Berlin more than 20 years ago. I was just out of college, an American on a research scholarship plunging headlong into German. In the crowded warmth of a smoke-filled bar, amid music, laughter, and the blur of jet lag and alcohol, I tried to keep up with conversations that constantly threatened to outpace me. I pieced together what I could from the fragments I understood, leaning on gesture, tone, facial expression, and context to bridge the gaps....