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Most people don’t think of good translations as a life and death profession. But, in many cases, it is exactly that. If someone is in need of medical help and they need to tell the doctor what is bothering them or where their pain is, that could be a life or death situation. This is a case where the life of one person or perhaps a few depended on good translation (interpretation). However, there have been cases in recent history where the fate of the whole world has depended on the way that words and sentences were translated!

Governmental translations gone wrong can lead to wars

It may sound preposterous, but during the Cold War, for a long time there were no direct links between the heads of state of the countries with major differences. Often statements were made in speeches that were expressly intended for the president or leader of another nation. This still happens on occasion today, but the diplomatic services are much better developed now and communications can be had behind closed doors much more readily. In the early days, however, tele-text machine “hotlines” were set up that allowed for more direct communication.

One detail that was overlooked in at least one case and probably in a multitude of others, was the qualification of the person translating the message. In one case between the US and USSR, one KGB agent who was translating documents during the Cuban Missile Crisis had a basic grasp of English, but no training or vocabulary that qualified him to deal with documents about nuclear issues. Such ”good translations” could have led to World War III and the destruction of the world!

Always hire a professional translation company for good translations

Your document or project may not endanger the existence of the world, but it may be very important for you to stay in business or to be able to visit a country. Don’t make an oversight. Hire a professional translation company that has experience and qualification in the subjects that you need and will provide you with good translations. Don’t send a bellhop to translate for a nuclear physicist.