Famous interpreting mistakes show the value of certified professionals

It can be difficult to grasp just how important professional interpreting and translation services are until taking a closer look at what mistakes have resulted in. 

No matter how “small,” one error may lead to a disastrous, or near-disastrous, outcome as the examples listed below will show. These examples are some of the more notable interpreting and translation mistakes in history. 

• At the end of World War II, a misinterpretation may have added to the decision of bombing Hiroshima, killing more than 70,000 people. Following an ultimatum that was given to Japan to surrender, a response by Japan’s Premier Kantaro Suzuki of “no comment” meant for reporters was turned into the literal translation of “Silence.” The U.S. saw this response as hostile and 10 days later, the atomic bomb was dropped.

• In 1956, a speech by Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev gave a speech during a time when tensions were rising between the Soviet Union and United States. In the speech, Kruschev was misinterpreted as saying “We will bury you,” when in reality what he actually said was “We will be present at your burial.” The mistaken phrase was published on magazine and newspaper covers, which didn’t help the situation. The interpreting mistake could have led to nuclear war and is said to have escalated the Cold War.

• President Jimmy Carter gave a speech on his visit to Poland in 1977. Carter said he was happy to be in Poland, but the interpreter mistakingly said “he was happy to grasp at Poland’s private parts.” During the same speech, Carter’s interpreter also turned “I left the United States this morning” into “I left the United States, never to return.” Needless to say, Carter hired a new interpreter after the debacle. 

• The mistranslation of the Italian word “canali” launched a theory of intelligent life on Mars back in 1877. Italian astronomer Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli was mapping Mars and dubbed areas on the planet’s surface as “seas” and “continents.” He labeled using the word “canali” and sadly, his peers mistranslated this as meaning “canals,” which then led to the theory. 

• In 1980, an 18-year-old man named Willie Ramirez became a quadriplegic when an interpreting mistake led to bleeding in his brain. Ramirez was in a coma when he was admitted to a Florida hospital. A Spanish word was misinterpreted to “intoxicated” and caused Ramirez to be misdiagnosed as having a drug overdose. Following the error, Ramirez received a settlement of $71 million. 

Interpreting and translation errors happen, sometimes on a large scale, so it’s important to ensure the hiring of a certified, professional interpreter when conducting crucial business.

Teneo Linguistics Company’s interpreters and translators are certified, experienced experts with a vast knowledge of languages and cultures. TLC provides language services to a variety of industries including government, medical, education, and legal institutions. 

Translation 360 is another service offered by TLC, which combines advanced translation management technology, consulting services, and deep personalization. This streamlines services into a single, compliant solution. 

Learn more about TLC’s interpreting and translation services by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.