• Space/Science
  • GeekSpeak
  • Mysteries of
    the Multiverse
  • Science Fiction
  • The Comestible Zone
  • Off-Topic
  • Community
  • Flame
  • CurrentEvents

Recent posts

the June ice report ER July 10, 2025 7:34 pm (Space/Science)

A Taste of Armageddon RobVG July 2, 2025 8:00 am (CurrentEvents)

We've got company ER July 2, 2025 7:50 am (Space/Science)

All Along the Watchtower ER July 1, 2025 9:13 pm (CurrentEvents)

Birthright Citizenship RobVG June 29, 2025 3:34 pm (CurrentEvents)

To be blunt, NASA is now dead RL June 27, 2025 11:56 am (Space/Science)

Musk trashes his own AI after it chose a liberal worldview. RobVG June 23, 2025 9:56 am (CurrentEvents)

Psyche keeps its date with an asteroid BuckGalaxy June 22, 2025 5:21 pm (Space/Science)

Just for the record... ER June 22, 2025 8:59 am (CurrentEvents)

The Three Unknowns After the U.S. Strike on Iran BuckGalaxy June 22, 2025 12:58 am (CurrentEvents)

Home » CurrentEvents

Faux Paws December 11, 2013 11:45 am hank

The sign language translator who stood by the podium while dignitaries paid their respects at Nelson Mandela’s funeral apparently did not know sign language.

South Africans fluent in sign language who witnessed the performance were understandably outraged; it appears this guy was just gesturing randomly, his translation was pure gibberish.

I don’t sign myself, but I couldn’t help noticing his dead-pan hand-waving just didn’t look right. I simply assumed that he was signing in some local dialect of the language.

In the US, signers educated at Gallaudet University have an “accent” that is instantly recognizable to those fluent in the language; and I don’t know if Ameslan is used in other countries, or to translate foreign languages.

My theory is it was an elaborate practical joke, a sort of Rosie Ruiz on a global scale, although certainly in bad taste at the funeral services for a universally respected world leader. One reporter described it as “vintage Andy Kaufman.”

  • The Good-Humor dude . . . by DanS 2013-12-11 12:26:51

    Search

    The Control Panel

    • Log in
    • Register