Interpreting is a complex job, and although professional linguists aim to keep their work perfectly error-free, to err is human. Interpreters often work under massive pressure across a variety of subject matters, so we understand that occasional mistakes do happen. But some bloopers are bigger than others. And in today’s post, we explore some of the biggest interpreting mistakes in history!
Rounding Up the Biggest Interpreting Mistakes in History
#1 – Poor Holy Moses
When Saint Jerome translated the Old Testament of the Bible, he interpreted the Hebrew word for ‘radiance’ as ‘horned.’ This led to poor Moses being depicted with horns. And the interpreting error was believed for hundreds of years. This mistranslation also gave way to an offensive Jewish stereotype.
#2 – A Pause that Led to War
After the U.S. demanded the surrender of Japan in July 1945, the Japanese Prime Minister, Kantaro Suzuki, attended a press conference to answer some questions. His answer to one of the questions was, “No comment. We are still thinking about it.” However, the interpreter on duty translated his comment as, “We are ignoring it in contempt.” Merely days after this interpretation, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Out of the biggest interpreting mistakes in history, this was the deadliest translation error. It was a mistranslation that led to the death of more than 70,000 people.
#3 – A Discussion that Warmed the Cold War
When Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev addressed Western officials at the Polish embassy during the Cold War, he said, “We will outlast you.” Sadly, this phrase was horribly misinterpreted as “We will bury you.” During the height of the war, this phrase was a threat to the West, and tension further escalated. What followed was widespread fear and panic among Americans, all expecting a nuclear attack.
#4 – Mahmoud’s Misinterpreted Intents
When Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the nation in 2006, he mentioned that “the regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time.” His words were meant to appease tensions in the Middle East. The interpreter, however, made a terrible mistake and translated his words as “I wish Israel be wiped off the map.” Even though it was later clarified that there was an interpreting mistake, and the real meaning was revealed, those words still caused an uproar.
#5 – President Jimmy Carter and Poland’s Private Parts
Former US President Jimmy Carter really understood the details of drawing the attention of an audience. During a speech he gave during his visit to Poland in 1977, the interpreter on duty translated the comments of Jimmy Carter as a sexual desire for the then-communist country. In reality, Carter only said that he wanted to learn more about the Polish people’s desires and plans for the future.
Final Thoughts
Here at Day Interpreting, we always aim to deliver error-free interpreting services by ensuring that our interpreters are fluent in the source and target language.
Poor translation and interpretation can be embarrassing at best, like in the case of Jimmy Carter. But it can also lead to miscommunication that sets the stage for much graver events like war and the loss of innocent lives. However, it is interesting to look back at some of these historical interpreting bloopers. It is events like these that help us realize, what huge implications mistranslated words can make.
Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.
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