Interpreting error / Fehler beim Dolmetschen

Apparently an interpreter working for a company (Lesley Howard Languages) hired by CNN made a slip on Saturday, saying Iran has the right to build nuclear weapons, instead of saying that Iran has the right to nuclear energy, and that “a nation that has civilization does not need nuclear weapons.” (CNN.com report – thanks to Patrick).

bq. The translation company, Lesley Howard Languages, apologized to CNN.
“Obviously, we’re taking it very, very seriously. We will never use him again,” owner Lesley Howard said, referring to the interpreter.
She said the same interpreter, who like other interpreters is contracted for individual projects, has done good work in the past, including for CNN.

For those not in the know: Lesley is the usual spelling for a woman’s name, and Leslie for a man (as in the case of Leslie Howard who played Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, and Henry Higgins in Pygmalion). Of course, not all parents know that.

Meanwhile, in Iraq, the military version of The Way to Amarillo (videoclip).

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