turn, flip

翻 is composed of 番 and the radical of 羽 (feather). 番 is composed of 釆 and 田 (field), conveys the idea of scattering seeds into a field; each sowing marks the formal beginning of a new farming cycle and therefore carries the idea of rotation or turning over. Feathers are thin and flat, easily flipped or turned over; thus 翻 means flip, overturn, or translate.