Hillary Clintons translation goof-up while giving gift to Russian Foreign Minister
March 7th, 2009 - 5:11 pm ICT by ANI Washington, March 7 (ANI): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clintons peacemaking expression, when she handed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over a gift in Geneva on Friday, turned out to be a goof-up because the present bore an incorrect translation that implied hostility.
She gave Lavrov with a gift-wrapped red button that read “Reset” in English, and “Peregruzka” in Russian.
However, “peregruzka” means overcharged or overloaded rather than reset, and Lavrov called Hillary out on it.
“We worked hard to get the right Russian word. Do you think we got it?” Fox News quoted Clinton as asking Lavrov.
“You got it wrong. This says ”peregruzka,” which means overcharged,” Lavrov replied.
Both diplomats laughed, and Clinton said: “We won”t let you do that to us, I promise.”
Hillarys adviser Philippe Reines revealed that the correct translation for “reset” was only a couple letters off, and insisted that the typo would be fixed.
“Since we”re all learning a little Russian today, Opechatka is Russian for typo. So the ”Opechatka” is being fixed, the gift will correctly read ”Perezagruzka,”” he said. (ANI)
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Tags: adviser, correct translation, couple letters, diplomats, expression, foreign minister, fox news, geneva, hillary clintons, hostility, philippe reines, red button, russian word, secretary of state, sergei lavrov, typo
