| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Off topic: Politicians' foreign language gaffes Thread poster: Louise Souter (X)
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Louise Souter (X) 
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Spanish to English
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Does anyone known of any gaffes made by politicians as a result of poor translation/interpretation or cultural misunderstandings (preferably between French/Spanish and English).
Thanks
| | | | Clare Barnes
Sweden
Local time: 01:26
Swedish to English
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| Blair and Jospin | Jun 4, 2010 |
I've always got a giggle out of this story about Blair and Jospin:
"Tony Blair may sympathize: in the early days of his premiership, he attempted to show
off his linguistic skills by taking a joint conference with France’s then prime minister,
Lionel Jospin, reports The Times. When asked what he thought of Jospin, Blair tried to
respond, in French: ‘I admire Lionel Jospin, although we have differing views.’ Pity then
that his lingo actually translated a... See more I've always got a giggle out of this story about Blair and Jospin:
"Tony Blair may sympathize: in the early days of his premiership, he attempted to show
off his linguistic skills by taking a joint conference with France’s then prime minister,
Lionel Jospin, reports The Times. When asked what he thought of Jospin, Blair tried to
respond, in French: ‘I admire Lionel Jospin, although we have differing views.’ Pity then
that his lingo actually translated as: ‘I desire Lionel Jospin in many different positions.’"
(Retold here by the Plain Language Commission in their newsletter - it's on page 7:
http://www.clearest.co.uk/files/Pikestaff30.pdf) ▲ Collapse
| | | | inmb
Local time: 01:26
English to Polish
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| Jan Willem van Dormolen (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 01:26
English to Dutch
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| A mighty story | Jun 4, 2010 |
Many years ago, when the UK was still very reluctant to join the EU, Dutch minister of foreign affairs made a speech in which he criticized this position.
In his opinion, the British wrongly still thought himself a great nation and he concluded (in French):
La Grande Bretagne, c'est un mythe.
Unfortunately, that's not quite what he said. He got the gender wrong and therefore concluded:
La Grande Bretagne, c'est une mite.
[Bijgewerkt op 2010-06-... See more Many years ago, when the UK was still very reluctant to join the EU, Dutch minister of foreign affairs made a speech in which he criticized this position.
In his opinion, the British wrongly still thought himself a great nation and he concluded (in French):
La Grande Bretagne, c'est un mythe.
Unfortunately, that's not quite what he said. He got the gender wrong and therefore concluded:
La Grande Bretagne, c'est une mite.
[Bijgewerkt op 2010-06-04 07:17 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| I am a jelly doughnut | Jun 4, 2010 |
U.S. President John F. Kennedy's June 26, 1963 speech in West Berlin featured Mr. Kennedy's brave attempt at German: "Ich bin ein Berliner." Unfortunately Mr. Kennedy came perilously close to calling himself a jelly doughnut instead of expressing his solidarity with the city.
Berliner, you see, is the name of a jelly doughnut except in Berlin where, I'm told, they are called Pfannkuchen (although they bear no more resemblance to an American pancake than a jelly doughnut does). Neve... See more U.S. President John F. Kennedy's June 26, 1963 speech in West Berlin featured Mr. Kennedy's brave attempt at German: "Ich bin ein Berliner." Unfortunately Mr. Kennedy came perilously close to calling himself a jelly doughnut instead of expressing his solidarity with the city.
Berliner, you see, is the name of a jelly doughnut except in Berlin where, I'm told, they are called Pfannkuchen (although they bear no more resemblance to an American pancake than a jelly doughnut does). Nevertheless, it is fun to believe that a president of the United States referred to himself in public as an item of pastry.
[Edited at 2010-06-04 07:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Russian to English
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In memoriam | Gorbachev's throne | Jun 4, 2010 |
This is pure speculation of course, but something along these lines may well have been said.
GORBACHEV ENTHRONED
Soviet TV on 28th June 1988 had a report on a conference chaired by Gorbachev, which included the following video notes:
0824 Gorbachev's seat in the front row, currently empty, has a higher back than all the others, and wooden arms (the other seats have no arms).
This difference has not been noted on previous occasions.
0834 G... See more This is pure speculation of course, but something along these lines may well have been said.
GORBACHEV ENTHRONED
Soviet TV on 28th June 1988 had a report on a conference chaired by Gorbachev, which included the following video notes:
0824 Gorbachev's seat in the front row, currently empty, has a higher back than all the others, and wooden arms (the other seats have no arms).
This difference has not been noted on previous occasions.
0834 Gorbachev resumes his speech. As he does so, Ligachev is seen leaning across the large chair with arms and gesturing at it as he says something to Gromyko.
LIGACHEV TO GROMYKO (singing, to tune "Krasnaya Armiya vsekh silney"):
Has Gorbachev got a cult of his own?
What does he want with this damn great throne?
You're head of state, mate, and he knows it too!
He shouldn't sit there, it should be you!
Is this the proper way
To treat the Party?
To set himself up as the Tsar?
You see how glasnost
Becomes opasnost!
This time he's really gone too far!
Then the Tsarina, the wife of the Tsar,
Will be Raisa Maksimovna!
Your wife and mine, mate, will both blow their top!
We'd better do something, chop, chop, chop!
We don't think much of him,
So let's restructure him,
And show him how things should be run!
We'll cool his anger
In the Lubyanka,
And then let Stalin's will be done!
(The conference lasted two days. The high-backed seat with arms was never seen at it again. Gorbachev had the same kind of seat as everyone else at subsequent sessions.)
J. Doughty. June 1988 ▲ Collapse
| | | | Louise Souter (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks everyone. | Jun 4, 2010 |
Very amusing. I need to find a good gaffe for the conclusion of an essay on cultural translation.
| | | | Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
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Edward Potter
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
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| Tony M
France
Local time: 01:26
Member
French to English
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SITE LOCALIZER | A businessman, not a politician | Jun 5, 2010 |
When the merger took place of GEC and Plessey some years back in the UK, the new group became known as GEC Plessey Telecommunications, or GPT for short.
When presenting the new structure to French executives, although addressing them in EN, the chairman went to great pains to correctly pronounce the acronym as it should be in French, i.e. jay-pay-tay (instead of djee-pee-tee as in EN). So he was mystified when, as the session advanced, every time he said the group's name, it was gre... See more When the merger took place of GEC and Plessey some years back in the UK, the new group became known as GEC Plessey Telecommunications, or GPT for short.
When presenting the new structure to French executives, although addressing them in EN, the chairman went to great pains to correctly pronounce the acronym as it should be in French, i.e. jay-pay-tay (instead of djee-pee-tee as in EN). So he was mystified when, as the session advanced, every time he said the group's name, it was greeted with smiles, titters, and finally outright laughter.
His own command of FR was not sufficient to realize that his audience thought he was saying each time "J'ai pété" (I've just broken wind")! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Russian to English
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In memoriam | Nothing to do with politicians,, but... | Jun 5, 2010 |
Tony's story reminds me of one about a cinema performance in Poland during the war, at which many of the audience were Germans. Someone was taken ill, and an appeal for a doctor ("Is there a doctor in the house?") was made in Polish and German. But the speaker did not know the German for doctor, so left the word doctor (lekarz) in Polish.
This came over in German as "Is there a Leckarsch (an arse-licker) in the house?", to the amusement of the Germans present.
| | | | Williamson
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Flemish to English
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| A politican's native language gaffes. | Jun 6, 2010 |
W. : a well-known former politician for whom his native English language is a foreign language:
Some quotes:
-I know men and fish can coexist peacefully.
"Too many docs are going out of business, Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."
"There's an old saying in Tennessee.. I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee.. that says: fool me once, shame on.. .. shame on you?.. .. Fool me.. you can't get foo... See more W. : a well-known former politician for whom his native English language is a foreign language:
Some quotes:
-I know men and fish can coexist peacefully.
"Too many docs are going out of business, Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."
"There's an old saying in Tennessee.. I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee.. that says: fool me once, shame on.. .. shame on you?.. .. Fool me.. you can't get fooled again. ... followed by "Keep on rockin' in the Free World"
and many others.
[Edited at 2010-06-06 08:23 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I think the worst of all was George W. Bush! Have fun with some of the following:
"This is my maiden voyage. My first speech since I was the president of the United States and I couldn't think of a better place to give it than Calgary, Canada." --George W. Bush, as reported by the Associated Press, Calgary, Canada, March 17, 2009
"So I analyzed that and decided I didn't want to be the president during a depression greater than the Great Depression, or the beginning of a... See more I think the worst of all was George W. Bush! Have fun with some of the following:
"This is my maiden voyage. My first speech since I was the president of the United States and I couldn't think of a better place to give it than Calgary, Canada." --George W. Bush, as reported by the Associated Press, Calgary, Canada, March 17, 2009
"So I analyzed that and decided I didn't want to be the president during a depression greater than the Great Depression, or the beginning of a depression greater than the Great Depression." --George W. Bush, Washington D.C., Dec. 18, 2008
"I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009
"I've been in the Bible every day since I've been the president." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov. 12, 2008
"This thaw -- took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." --George W. Bush, on liquidity in the markets, Alexandria, La., Oct. 20, 2008
"First of all, I don't see America having problems." --George W. Bush, interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008
"Amigo! Amigo!" --George W. Bush, calling out to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Spanish at the G-8 Summit, Rusutsu, Japan, July 10, 2008
"Thank you, your Holiness. Awesome speech." --George W. Bush, to Pope Benedict, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2008 (Watch video clip)
"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008
Find more than 50 on:
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushisms.htm ▲ Collapse
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 16:26
English to German
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In memoriam | @ Williamson and Cristina | Jun 14, 2010 |
How does this relate to translation? Just curious.
| | | | John Rawlins
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Spanish to English
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| The Queen and Madame De Gaulle | Jun 14, 2010 |
Reputedly, at a formal reception during a state visit to France in the late 1960s, Queen Elizabeth asked Madame De Gaulle what she was most looking forward to after the recently announced retirement of her husband Charles De Gaulle.
The Queen and her retinue were startled to hear Madame De Gaulle explain that she was looking forward to 'a penis'.
As everyone leaned forward with surprised expressions she explained:
'Oui, now that Charles is retired I am look... See more Reputedly, at a formal reception during a state visit to France in the late 1960s, Queen Elizabeth asked Madame De Gaulle what she was most looking forward to after the recently announced retirement of her husband Charles De Gaulle.
The Queen and her retinue were startled to hear Madame De Gaulle explain that she was looking forward to 'a penis'.
As everyone leaned forward with surprised expressions she explained:
'Oui, now that Charles is retired I am looking forward to 'appiness together'.
---------------
This may not be entirely true.
▲ Collapse
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