FormerlyHemlock
Hero
It's the fun of overcoming a challenge (language barrier) by trivial means (in this case, a 1st-level spell, possibly cast ritually from a spellbook). Does that reach agreement?
Yes, I fully agree with that.
Is there broad agreement, or full consensus, on exactly what "trivial" means, to all DMs and to all players, in the context of trivial and non-trivial challenges, or what constitutes trivially overcoming a challenge? And is there equal agreement on whether that's a good thing, or a situational thing, or badwrongfun?
I don't think there is broad agreement. You are using the word "trivial" in a much looser sense than myself or Saeviomagy. In math, for example, a trivial solution is "a solution or example that is ridiculously simple and of little interest," like giving zero as a solution to a complex homogenous linear equation--it's true for ALL homogenous linear equations regardless of the details of the problem.
Killing a ranged enemy who has no ranged attacks himself, is determined to chase you, and is slower than you is a trivial problem (although some players would want to play it out anyway--apparently it's not of little interest to them) no matter how many HP the enemy has or how terrifying his melee attacks are. A lopsided combat however, is not trivial by my usage of the word even if it's ridiculously easy, because it hasn't been solved. (The details still matter.) I might think it's boring and too easy, but I wouldn't call it trivialized unless I know in advance exactly how it is going to go. At that point I would be fully comfortable with the player (not even the DM) simply narrating the combat: "As the orc chief is growling and threatening at us from across the ravine, I gesture, and meteors rain from the sky, killing him and all of his men. All die! O the embarrassment."