ClydeR
12-15-2013, 07:26 PM
You heard about the sign language translator at Nelson Mandela's funeral. Well it reminded me of something that happened to Jimmy Carter 36 years ago.
Picture it. At the height of the Cold War, President Carter ventured into Poland, the Soviet Union's back doorstep. Carter didn't speak Polish, of course, which is where the story begins.
Back in 1977, President Jimmy Carter was in Poland for a state visit. Seeking a translator for his time there, the State department hired Steven Seymour, who was a freelance linguist who was known for his expertise with translating written Polish. That expertise in dealing with Polish on paper, didn't translate into expertise in speaking Polish. During Carter's opening speech, Seymour translated the the English, "I have come to learn your opinions and understand your desires for the future." into the Polish, "I desire the Poles carnally."
While that one mistake would have been bad enough, Seymour's didn't end there. Carter started talking about how happy he was to be in Poland, which was translated as he was happy to grasp Poland's private parts. Further on in Carter's speech, he talked about his departure from the U.S. which was translated, "when I left the United States never to return...". Lastly, Carter went on to praise the Polish constitution of 1791 as one of three great documents in the struggle for human rights. What Seymour told the Poles in attendance was that their constitution was to be ridiculed.
More... (http://lost-in-dictation.blogspot.com/2012/08/jimmy-carter-really-likes-poland.html)
Picture it. At the height of the Cold War, President Carter ventured into Poland, the Soviet Union's back doorstep. Carter didn't speak Polish, of course, which is where the story begins.
Back in 1977, President Jimmy Carter was in Poland for a state visit. Seeking a translator for his time there, the State department hired Steven Seymour, who was a freelance linguist who was known for his expertise with translating written Polish. That expertise in dealing with Polish on paper, didn't translate into expertise in speaking Polish. During Carter's opening speech, Seymour translated the the English, "I have come to learn your opinions and understand your desires for the future." into the Polish, "I desire the Poles carnally."
While that one mistake would have been bad enough, Seymour's didn't end there. Carter started talking about how happy he was to be in Poland, which was translated as he was happy to grasp Poland's private parts. Further on in Carter's speech, he talked about his departure from the U.S. which was translated, "when I left the United States never to return...". Lastly, Carter went on to praise the Polish constitution of 1791 as one of three great documents in the struggle for human rights. What Seymour told the Poles in attendance was that their constitution was to be ridiculed.
More... (http://lost-in-dictation.blogspot.com/2012/08/jimmy-carter-really-likes-poland.html)