INTERPRETORS

It is such a highly skilled job indeed- when translating, you have access to lots of specialist dictionaries and time- but when interpreting, especially difficult material like politics or scientific papers, etc- it is instantaneous- in fact worse, the interpretor is always 1 sentence behind. Worst is interpreting languages like German, with very long combined words like in Welsh, and so often the verb going right at the end of a sentence.

But even the best make mistakes. The worst was an interpreter for Jacques Delors, Head of the European Parliament at the time of the Maastricht Treaty. Mrs Thatcher was of course present. M. Delors said 'bien sûr, l'union fait la force? = of course staying united will give us strength. But the interpretor got it all wrong and made Mrs T. jump- it was like red rag to a bull. Of course Unions will have more power- he said. I was screaming at the TV- it seems noboy else but me picked it up, as there was no comment in the Press or apology/correction at all.

I often wonder if interpreters were at times chosen to influence the outcome- sort of active spies. Imagine Korbatschev and Kennedy talking about the cold war- and the interpretor would deliberately and cleverly alter the meaning and sense of what was being said ... in such sensitive and dangerous times, it could be the flame that set the all thing alight.

Why do you think Angela Merkel gets along so well with Putin. She does not need an interpreter. She went to school in East Germany and did Russian at school. I think a politician these days should speak one foreign language at least. We may be an island but communications and travel have progressed so much that you can't grumble about paying for interpreters. A good interpretation is an advantage in any situation so pay them well.

granjura I am intrigued by Korbatschev. Is than an alternative (maybe German?) transliteration of – well who exactly? I thought about Gorbachev, but then what connection did he have with a Kennedy? Help!

LOL- it was a quick response from the top of my head- as an example, and I got it rather splendidly... or rather catastrophically, wrong, didn't I!
Thanks goodness it was an example about how interpreters can influence things, rather than one about factual history.

Of course most top politicians who are not French or British speak at least one foreign language and often 2 or 3 or more. Usually English + another.
Here in Switzerland, all will speak both French and German + English, and often Italian too. I recently had to host the whole of the Swiss Government, at the opening of a new Museum I am VP of- and they were all switching from German, French and English without batting an eyelid.