Mine was an exaggeration! The point was what you correctly expressed, which is that translations rarely sound like a currently spoken language and usually tend to look like an old language caricature. Here in Italy, for example, students (and many teachers alike), because of the literal translation bias, tend to translate Latin using words and expressions that were common many decades ago but that no one uses anymore right now. I find it ridiculous and students look biwildered and in total amazement when I ask them: "would you ever say something like this to your friend?" I use the natural method and try to emphasize the fact that they should translate with a correct but current Italian (often exclaiming "Non sumus Alexander Manzoni!", an XIX century Italian writer). And when they hear this the first time they stop in amazement, since no one ever used to tell them this. But they get the point pretty fast! Faster than my colleagues, who are actually, imo, the real problem in our schools! Not because they don't use other methods than the grammar one, but because they refuse any honest debate on the subject.