Lost in Translation - John McCain on torture and Guantanamo

[Angela Shelley]

This thread is to show how a translation can easily lead to misunderstandings.


In the weekly German magazine called "Der Spiegel" from February 11, 2008, there is an interview with John McCain.

McCain was asked about Guantanamo and if there would be changes should he be elected.
Here is his reply:

"Ich würde ankündigen, dass kein Gefangener in Amerika mehr gefoltert wird. Ich würde ankündigen, dass wir Guantanamo schließen und die Gefangenen nach Fort Leavenworth im US-Bundesstaat Kansas verlegen."

My translation: I would announce that prisoners will no longer be tortured in America.

In the English version at the website for Der Spiegel, his answer was:

"Yes. I would announce that we are not ever going to torture anyone held in American custody. I would announce that we were closing Guantanamo Bay and moving those prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas"

Read the article at http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,534459,00.html


In my translation,
McCain implied that prisoners are being tortured, but he would stop that practice.

In the Spiegel version,
McCain said that noone will ever be tortured, wherever the prisoners may be held.


The point of this exercise is to show that little words can make big differences when they have to be translated.


Now the question is: What do you think of the idea of closing Guantanamo and bringing the (still innocent) prisoners to Kansas?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Your translation is better

even though my grasp of German is rusty (took it in high school 40 years ago,have used it sporadically since then). Gitmo should be closed, detainees shipped somewhere in the US, and trials started immediately. If found not guilty, they should be repatriated to their countries and given reparations for their pain and suffering. But that will never happen.