Mistranslations of Political Speeches Can Cause Rampant Confusion

The dangers of mistranslation are evident in our daily intake of media, particularly in live-air political speeches made by state leaders, according to NPR. For instance, during Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's speech in February announcing his resignation, three different news sources - CNN, NPR, and Al-Jazeera all translated his words differently.
As a result, confusing reports that Mubarak would both step down immediately - but also stay in office until September - were received by English-speaking viewers. Other phrases were unclearly translated and difficult to understand.
Shortly thereafter, Vice President Suleiman stated that "President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country," according to the BBC's official transcript.
These differences in translation are largely attributable to the varying backgrounds of translators. Some, according to Shuckran Kamal, senior Arabic translator at the State Department, are native speakers of English who have learned Arabic. However, their knowledge of the language "fails to meet the level of linguistic knowledge and sophistication required" for a proper translation, NPR reports.
Linguistics professor Khaled Huthaily noted to the outlet that human translation is often flawed, making the use of professional interpreters essential for sensitive diplomatic translations.
Online translators may also prove useful for transmitting sensitive and important texts from one language to another.