Post by habiba123820 on Nov 6, 2024 4:23:26 GMT
Translation is one of the most important tasks when it comes to successfully conveying a message. Although many people think that translation is an easy task, this is far from the truth. Read this article to learn about the worst translation mistakes of all time.
Translation requires expertise and professionalism from the people involved. When this is not the case, many mistakes can occur. Below you will find the worst translation mistakes made throughout history - and how to avoid them!
1. That time Nikita Khrushchev's actor almost started World War III
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev nearly wordpress web design agency started World War III after a mistranslation in 1956. At a reception at the Polish Embassy in Moscow, the politician was interpreted as saying "We will bury them" to the guests, many of whom were ambassadors from Western countries.
Needless to say, the repercussions of his speech were catastrophic not only at the event, but also in the press afterwards. His full sentence - translated as "If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations and don't invite us to come and see you.
Like it or not, history is on our side. “We will bury them” was splashed across newspapers around the world, with many Americans seeing it as a threat to their country. However, given the context, his words were probably more directed at the capitalist system than at a specific country. Some translators suggest that his statement would be better translated as “Whether you like it or not, history is on our side.” “We will bury you” – which significantly diminishes the threatening part of the speech.
Others argue that he used a common Russian phrase, “We will be there when you are buried,” which essentially means “We will outlive you.” Over the years, Khrushchev gave many explanations for his words. In 1959, while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, he said, “The words ‘We will bury capitalism’ should not be taken literally, as ordinary gravediggers do when they carry a shovel, dig graves and bury the dead. What I had in mind was the prospect for the development of human society. “Socialism will inevitably succeed capitalism.”
2. When Jimmy Carter suffered a series of translation errors in Poland
US President Jimmy Carter was not immune to translation errors . One of the most famous instances of mistranslations that happened to the politician was when he traveled to Poland in 1977 for a press conference.
This is because, according to his interpreter , he had a sexual desire for the Soviet country. As you can imagine, these were not his exact words. What happened was that the professional responsible for translating Carter's speeches distorted his words. Therefore, he used Russian terms and abused the Polish language. This led to a number of translation errors, such as when the desire of the US President "to come and learn their views and understand their wishes for the future" was transformed into an erotic desire to "get to know the Poles carnally."
Another example of the translation errors made at the event was Carter's "I left the United States this morning" sentence, which was changed to "I left the United States, never to return" by the interpreter. After these unfortunate errors, another interpreter was assigned to translate Jimmy Carter's words - which did not improve the situation. Due to Carter's southern accent, the translator remained silent for most of his speech.
Translation requires expertise and professionalism from the people involved. When this is not the case, many mistakes can occur. Below you will find the worst translation mistakes made throughout history - and how to avoid them!
1. That time Nikita Khrushchev's actor almost started World War III
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev nearly wordpress web design agency started World War III after a mistranslation in 1956. At a reception at the Polish Embassy in Moscow, the politician was interpreted as saying "We will bury them" to the guests, many of whom were ambassadors from Western countries.
Needless to say, the repercussions of his speech were catastrophic not only at the event, but also in the press afterwards. His full sentence - translated as "If you don't like us, don't accept our invitations and don't invite us to come and see you.
Like it or not, history is on our side. “We will bury them” was splashed across newspapers around the world, with many Americans seeing it as a threat to their country. However, given the context, his words were probably more directed at the capitalist system than at a specific country. Some translators suggest that his statement would be better translated as “Whether you like it or not, history is on our side.” “We will bury you” – which significantly diminishes the threatening part of the speech.
Others argue that he used a common Russian phrase, “We will be there when you are buried,” which essentially means “We will outlive you.” Over the years, Khrushchev gave many explanations for his words. In 1959, while speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, he said, “The words ‘We will bury capitalism’ should not be taken literally, as ordinary gravediggers do when they carry a shovel, dig graves and bury the dead. What I had in mind was the prospect for the development of human society. “Socialism will inevitably succeed capitalism.”
2. When Jimmy Carter suffered a series of translation errors in Poland
US President Jimmy Carter was not immune to translation errors . One of the most famous instances of mistranslations that happened to the politician was when he traveled to Poland in 1977 for a press conference.
This is because, according to his interpreter , he had a sexual desire for the Soviet country. As you can imagine, these were not his exact words. What happened was that the professional responsible for translating Carter's speeches distorted his words. Therefore, he used Russian terms and abused the Polish language. This led to a number of translation errors, such as when the desire of the US President "to come and learn their views and understand their wishes for the future" was transformed into an erotic desire to "get to know the Poles carnally."
Another example of the translation errors made at the event was Carter's "I left the United States this morning" sentence, which was changed to "I left the United States, never to return" by the interpreter. After these unfortunate errors, another interpreter was assigned to translate Jimmy Carter's words - which did not improve the situation. Due to Carter's southern accent, the translator remained silent for most of his speech.