German TV apologizes for on‑air translator gaffe during trump event
During Donald Trump's inauguration as President of the USA, a German translator on the Phoenix television channel surprised viewers with an unexpected comment. According to Deutsche Welle, he suddenly interrupted the broadcast.
The German public television channel Phoenix was airing the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump as President of the USA live. The simultaneous interpreter was in the process of translating the speech of the US leader when suddenly these words were heard: "Tell me, how much longer do you want to play this s***?".
Confusion ensued. After a brief, nervous pause, the translation resumed.
The broadcaster Phoenix later explained that the incident was the result of a technical malfunction. The glitch caused the communication between the translator and the director to be audible to viewers.
A station representative apologised to the viewers. The situation was diplomatically commented on, "This, of course, does not reflect the opinion of the broadcaster" - emphasised the German television channel in a statement.
The statement added that during major international events, the broadcaster collaborates with experienced external translators. This was also the case during Trump’s inauguration. "Translators have to work for many hours, staying highly concentrated and translating simultaneously. As a rule, despite enormous pressure, this works flawlessly" - explained the German broadcaster.
Source: Katarzyna Domagała-Pereira / Deutsche Welle
