History's Famous Mistranslations, Part Two: Life on Mars, the Cold War, and FARTFULL
Dec 5, 2024
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Discover how mistranslations have sparked fascinating theories about life on Mars and shaped Cold War narratives. Laugh at marketing blunders like IKEA's 'Fartful' toy and missteps in car names that went hilariously wrong across cultures. Delve into the political repercussions of Khrushchev's words and the human tendency to see patterns, even in translation errors. From Pepsi's faux pas to the cultural impacts of linguistic miscommunication, this exploration shows just how vital context and accuracy can be.
Misinterpretations of the term 'canali' by an Italian astronomer led to widespread but unfounded theories of intelligent life on Mars.
Translation inaccuracies during the Cold War, particularly in Khrushchev's speech, reflect how language can distort political intentions and meanings.
Deep dives
The Origin of a Famous Mistranslation
An Italian astronomer's misinterpretation sparked significant misconceptions about Mars. In 1877, Giovanni Virginio Sciaparelli noted light and dark areas on the planet's surface and used the term 'canali,' which means 'channels' in Italian. However, his peers translated this as 'canals,' implying artificial waterways and thus suggesting the existence of intelligent life on Mars. This mistranslation ignited a wave of speculation, inspiring notable figures like Percival Lowell to create maps and literature portraying Martians as advanced engineers.
Cold War Miscommunication
The political climate of the Cold War was further complicated by translation inaccuracies, exemplified by Nikita Khrushchev's infamous speech in 1956. When he proclaimed, 'We will bury you,' it was widely interpreted as a direct threat to the West, despite his true intent being a more metaphorical statement on capitalism's inevitable decline. Critics pointed out that Khrushchev intended to convey ideological confidence rather than hostility. Over the years, he attempted to clarify his statements, emphasizing his views on historical inevitability instead of issuing threats.
Marketing Translation Blunders
In the world of marketing, mistranslations can lead to unintended and humorous results, as illustrated by the American Dairy Association's 'Got Milk?' campaign. The Spanish translation inadvertently posited the awkward question, 'Are you lactating?' instead of simply asking if people wanted milk. Similarly, Parker Pen faced backlash when their slogan 'It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you' translated to 'It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant' in Spanish due to a linguistic mix-up. Such blunders highlight the complexities of translating catchy marketing phrases across cultures.
The Role of Technology in Modern Mistranslations
Modern technology has not eliminated mistranslations; rather, it has introduced new challenges, notably in social media platforms like Facebook. Following a tragic earthquake in Indonesia, Facebook's algorithm mistakenly added celebratory emojis to posts about the disaster, due to a misinterpretation of the word 'selamat,' which means 'safe.' This incident underscores the limitations of automated translations, especially in sensitive contexts. Additionally, historical miscommunications continue with recent examples from public figures like Justin Trudeau, whose phrases were misread by translation tools, demonstrating ongoing issues in capturing contextual meaning.
Did a mistranslation lead to theories of life on Mars? What exactly was Khrsuschev trying to say at that big U.N. meeting? Language is amazing -- and it's also pretty complicated. As a result, translation is often more an art than an exact science, and over the course of human history mistranslations have led to some astonishing, at-times dangerous, and often ridiculous results. In the second episode of this continuing series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into more bizarre historical mistranslations, from unfortunate car names to that time IKEA accused children of constantly farting, and so much more.