Headphones

[jennyjoan]

You know when foreign people speak in parliament etc and the audience wear headphones - is the language being automatically interpreted in the headphones.

[goodgoalie]

It's not being done 'automatically' - it's being done by real live interpreters.

[jennyjoan]

oh thanks GG

[Buenchico]

Simultaneous translations have been known to go a bit awry at times. During a European Parliament debate on the Gulf War crisis, the Leader of the House rose to say "Nous avons besoin de la sagesse normande pour trouver une solution a cette crise", thus invoking an old Gallic saying roughly meaning "We need to use a bit of common sense in order to find a solution to the Gulf War crisis".

The English-speakers present were surprised to receive this translation in their headphones: "In order to solve the Gulf War crisis we need Norman Wisdom" ;-)