“拘泥于字句”可以翻译为 “be overly bound by or stick too closely to the exact wording” ，或者更简洁地表达为 “get bogged down in the literal meaning of words” 、“be fixated on the exact wording” 。
例句：
When translating, we shouldn't get bogged down in the literal meaning of words; instead, we should convey the overall idea. （翻译时，我们不应拘泥于字句，而应传达整体意思。）
Some readers tend to be overly bound by the exact wording and miss the deeper significance of the text. （一些读者往往拘泥于字句，而忽略了文本更深层的含义。 ）