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In 1956, during a diplomatic 
reception in Moscow,

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Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
told Western Bloc ambassadors,

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"My vas pokhoronim!"

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His interpreter rendered that
into English as,

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"We will bury you!"

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This statement sent shockwaves
through the Western world,

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heightening the tension between
the Soviet Union and the US

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who were in the thick of the Cold War.

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Some believe this incident alone
set East/West relations back a decade.

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As it turns out, Khrushchev's remark
was translated a bit too literally.

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Given the context, his words
should have been rendered as,

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"We will live to see you buried,"

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meaning that Communism 
would outlast Capitalism,

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a less threatening comment.

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Though the intended meaning
was eventually clarified,

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the initial impact of Khrushchev's
apparent words

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put the world on a path
that could have led to nuclear armageddon.

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So now, given the complexities of language
and cultural exchange,

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how does this sort of thing
not happen all the time?

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Much of the answer lies with the skill
and training of interpreters

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to overcome language barriers.

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For most of history, interpretation
was mainly done consecutively,

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with speakers and interpreters making
pauses to allow each other to speak.

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But after the advent of radio technology,

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a new simultaneous interpretations system
was developed in the wake of World War II.

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In the simultaneous mode

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interpreters instantaneously 
translate a speaker's words

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into a microphone while he speaks.

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Without pauses, those in the audience
can choose the language

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in which they want to follow.

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On the surface, it all looks seamless,

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but behind the scenes,

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human interpreters work incessantly


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to ensure every idea 
gets across as intended.

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And that is no easy task.

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It takes about two years of training
for already fluent bilingual professionals

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to expand their vocabulary 
and master the skills necessary

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to become a conference interpreter.

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To get used to the unnatural task
of speaking while they listen,

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students shadow speakers

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and repeat their every word 
exactly as heard in the same language.

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In time, they begin to paraphrase 
what is said,

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making stylistic adjustments as they go.

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At some point, a second language
is introduced.

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Practicing in this way creates new neural
pathways in the interpreter's brain,

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and the constant effort of reformulation
gradually becomes second nature.

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Over time and through much hard work,

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the interpreter masters a vast array 
of tricks to keep up with speed,

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deal with challenging terminology,

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and handle a multitude of foreign accents.

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They may resort to acronyms 
to shorten long names,

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choose generic terms over specific,

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or refer to slides and other visual aides.

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They can even leave a term 
in the original language,

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while they search for the most 
accurate equivalent.

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Interpreters are also skilled at keeping
aplomb in the face of chaos.

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Remember, they have no control
over who is going to say what,

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or how articulate the speaker will sound.

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A curveball can be thrown at any time.

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Also, they often perform 
to thousands of people

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and in very intimidating settings,

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like the UN General Assembly.

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To keep their emotions in check,

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they carefully prepare for an assignment,

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building glossaries in advance,

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reading voraciously 
about the subject matter,

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and reviewing previous talks on the topic.

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Finally, interpreters work in pairs.

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While one colleague is busy translating
incoming speeches in real time,

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the other gives support 
by locating documents,

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looking up words,

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and tracking down pertinent information.

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Because simultaneous interpretation
requires intense concentration,

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every 30 minutes, the pair switches roles.

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Success is heavily dependent 
on skillful collaboration.

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Language is complex,

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and when abstract or nuanced concepts
get lost in translation,

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the consequences may be catastrophic.

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As Margaret Atwood famously noted,
"War is what happens when language fails."

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Conference interpreters of all people
are aware of that

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and work diligently behind the scenes
to make sure it never does.