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| User | Thread poster: Anil Gidwani Germany's new FM refuses to speak in English when in Germany |
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Uwe Schwenk
United States
Local time: 10:10
English to German
| | It was Willy Brandt | Oct 12 |
Özden,
it was Willy Brandt and not Konrad Adenauer.
As for the remainder of your message, that is your opinion and I do respect that.
Uwe
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Sonja Kroll 
Germany
Local time: 17:10
  Member (2008)
English to German
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I think this is just another man oblivious to his own limits and in bad need to be Mr. Great & Important.
Well then, let him play if that makes him happy. (He hasn't gathered his nick for naught.  )
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Christina Heger
Germany
Local time: 17:10
Member (Jan 2009)
English to German
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| | Know one's own limits | Oct 12 |
Sonja Kroll wrote:
I think this is just another man oblivious to his own limits ... .
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For me it implies quite the opposit
He knows that he had better not make a fool of himself on a press conference by speaking English.
And we all know what it sounds like thanks to youtube and news bits.
And the best thing is, that our dear journalist obviously asks a question "Guidolein" has been answering a couple of times before - during the same press conference.
So either, he really just wanted to hear him speak - or he wasn't paying attention to what was happening around him or he didn't realise that this is what his interpreter next to him was for.
For his credit I am assuming the first.
BTW, when was the last time Germany sent a journalist to the White House (for example) and asked a question in German - just because they wanted to hear a politician speak German - just for the news bit ...
I think Guido did us all favour by letting the interpreter do her work.
[Bearbeitet am 2009-10-12 19:42 GMT]
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Sonja Kroll
Germany
Local time: 17:10
Member (2008)
English to German
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though I wasn't referring to that press conference in the first place, it is true that I dislike him, let alone his party. So I hope I'm wrong ... he's our FM after all.
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Anil Gidwani
India
Local time: 21:40
Member (2002)
German to English
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TOPIC STARTER |
Christina Heger wrote:
Well, "forced" is a strong word.
She [the interpreter] had been sitting next to him during the entire press conference and obviously been there to interpret the other journalists' questions and the corresponding answers.
What I've been asking myself is: Why did the BBC send someone to a German press conference in Germany who does not speak German?
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While many people in Germany do speak English very well, questions from the media need to be thoroughly understood and replies carefully worded for fear of being misquoted. Official pronouncements can make or break a policy, especially in the delicate area of foreign relations. The new FM was quite correct in declining to speak in a language he is not fully familiar with.
And "forced" is indeed a strong word. After all, no one forced the BBC reporter to speak in English.. 
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hazmatgerman
Germany
Local time: 17:10
English to German
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apart from liking or not, the acting Foreign Minister of Germany as of today is Mr. Steinmeier, not Mr. Westerwelle. Note that "acting".
Just for the record.
Regards.
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