An error in interpretation recently led to a misunderstanding during a joint press conference attended by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. On July 2, Takaichi mistakenly relayed that Modi had referred to her as his “beautiful sister,” a phrase that was the result of a translation mix-up.
The incident occurred due to the complexities involved in relay interpretation, which involves translating from one language to another in sequence. In this case, Modi originally addressed Takaichi as “my sister” in Hindi. This was then translated into English as “my younger sister.” However, when further translated into Japanese, the phrase was inaccurately rendered as “beautiful sister,” leading to Takaichi repeating it under the belief that it was correct.
Despite the slip, Japanese officials have assured that it has not affected diplomatic relations between the two countries. They clarified that the mistake was purely due to the intricacies of simultaneous relay interpretation. No concerns have been raised by India regarding the mistranslation, indicating that the incident was taken in stride by both parties.
During the press conference, Takaichi had expressed her understanding of the relationship between her and Modi as akin to that of siblings, reiterating the phrase she believed to be accurate. The officials have since clarified the context, ensuring that there are no lingering misunderstandings from the event.