unsinkable Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Look on your own favorite news source The sign language interpretor was not using South African or American Sign Language and he was moving his hands around with no meaning. If this is true, it is terrifying that an unknown person like this could get so close to so many heads of state. It's terrifying to think of the damage he might have done if he wanted to cause physical harm to one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25330672 Huh. I hadn't heard that yet. I will be following to find out who this man is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 How awful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 How strange. He looks very uncomfortable as well - as if he knew he shouldn't be doing the interpreting or as if he was concerned he would get caught. If putting an inept interpreter up there was done intentionally, what was the purpose? If it was unintentional, how careless, checking the man's credentials must have fallen through the cracks, somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That's really weird! To me, it looked like he kept doing the same sign over and over. Very weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That is awful. I wonder how he scammed his way in or did whomever was supposed to be there not show up and they said…go out there? Weird. I would assume that you would need some sort of credentialing to be an interpreter. I hope that South African TV has closed captioning or something similar so that the deaf community watching TV was still able to understand the service. I feel sad for all who were in attendance, were counting on translation, and then lost out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyThreeSons Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have a friend who teaches Sign Language at our local community college. She posted a link to this video, which shows a legitimate interpreter along with the impostor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJlttIL2PSs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That was really unnerving to hear. I was already a little concerned about all those leaders being in the same place...not just our president and former presidents, but there were SO many heads of state there and I was thinking that might be an attractive target for terrorists. It'll be interesting to see how this story plays out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 How bizarre. I can't imagine that whoever was in charge put this man out there knowing he couldn't sign. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that the guy scammed his way in to that role somehow. But why? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That is crazy! I just heard about it on the radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 That's really weird! To me, it looked like he kept doing the same sign over and over. Very weird. I was thinking the same thing. Bizarre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albeto. Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 Saturday Night Live did it first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinNY Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 And I am sure SNL will have a field day with this one:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 He looks like security to me. I have no idea why he'd be doing fake interpretation, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 He only seems to have variations on one set of moves, too. 15 minute fame clock is ticking..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFG Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 A man who is unable to do what he claims he is doing is within an arm's length of the President of the United States? How does the Secret Service allow that to happen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 A man who is unable to do what he claims he is doing is within an arm's length of the President of the United States? How does the Secret Service allow that to happen? Well, it's not the Secret Service's show. I'm sure it's very difficult to balance security and diplomacy. I'm sure they checked him for weapons, etc. It *is* surprising that the South African government allowed it to happen. More info here: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/11/21860157-fake-sign-language-interpreter-at-nelson-mandela-memorial-provokes-anger Among the first to express their dissatisfaction was Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, the first deaf woman to be elected to the South African parliament, who tweeted that the signing was "rubbish," adding: "He cannot sign. Please get him off." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I have a friend who teaches Sign Language at our local community college. She posted a link to this video, which shows a legitimate interpreter along with the impostor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJlttIL2PSs Many of his movements look vaguely similar to the real translators but incomplete. Makes me wonder if someone said at the last minute - hey, we need a sign interpreter! And rather than bothering to hire a legitimate interpreter, someone just asked if anyone already working there could sign, and the guy was just fumbling along with what limited knowledge he had, just skipping the words he didn't know and possibly not correctly doing the ones he thought he did... would explain how he got there and why... Like asking someone who had only two years of high school Spanish to interpret at an event with world leaders (hey! Joe knows how to order a beer in Spanish - he can do it!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25345627 During a press conference, Ms Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities, admitted that a mistake had been made but said there was no reason for the country to be embarrassed. ......... But she accused Mr Dyantyi's employers, SA Interpreters, of being cheats, and said the company's directors had now vanished into thin air. ......... He said that during the event, he had lost concentration because of voices in his head. He said he had started hallucinating, and saw angels coming into the stadium. "I was in a very difficult position," he said. He also indicated that his past behaviour had sometimes been unpredictable, telling the Associated Press news agency that "sometimes I will react violent on this place, sometimes I will see things chasing me". --------------- Good vetting, there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 They should have hired this little girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25345627 During a press conference, Ms Bogopane-Zulu, the deputy minister for women, children and people with disabilities, admitted that a mistake had been made but said there was no reason for the country to be embarrassed. ......... But she accused Mr Dyantyi's employers, SA Interpreters, of being cheats, and said the company's directors had now vanished into thin air. ......... He said that during the event, he had lost concentration because of voices in his head. He said he had started hallucinating, and saw angels coming into the stadium. "I was in a very difficult position," he said. He also indicated that his past behaviour had sometimes been unpredictable, telling the Associated Press news agency that "sometimes I will react violent on this place, sometimes I will see things chasing me". --------------- Good vetting, there. Whoa. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 They should have hired this little girl. I saw this last night and was thinking the same thing. She is adorable. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I swear someone commented that he was not the only interpreter, that there was another, but i'm not seeing that ANYWHERE and now i cant find the comment. I just read that even the security at the event had been hired the day before. there was no background checks done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 I swear someone commented that he was not the only interpreter, that there was another, but i'm not seeing that ANYWHERE and now i cant find the comment. I just read that even the security at the event had been hired the day before. there was no background checks done. That is unacceptable. I'm dumbfounded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I swear someone commented that he was not the only interpreter, that there was another, but i'm not seeing that ANYWHERE and now i cant find the comment. I just read that even the security at the event had been hired the day before. there was no background checks done. I did post about there being a real sign language interpreter in addition to this fake.............. and the post disappeared!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I swear someone commented that he was not the only interpreter, that there was another, but i'm not seeing that ANYWHERE and now i cant find the comment. I just read that even the security at the event had been hired the day before. there was no background checks done. Doubly weird is the post you made is where I had responded, and it's gone too............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I saw him on tv today defending himself. He said he has been interpreting for years and has been on tv in South Africa and never had a problem. However- he also said he is being treated for schizophrenia and something about his meds being off. I couldn't pay too much attention because I was in a doctors' office waiting room and watching closed captioning, my kids, and filling out forms (multitasking ;) ). I wonder if he was having some sort of episode and decided it was better to continue rather than step down even if he was not in his right mind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Doubly weird is the post you made is where I had responded, and it's gone too............ I believe there is another thread that is discussing the same thing. Maybe the one that has the video of the little girl? Here it is. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/497330-they-should-have-hired-this-little-girl-to-interpret-mandelas-funeral/?hl=%2Blittle+%2Bgirl&do=findComment&comment=5356329 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I don't think there was a real interpreter at the event. I think someone added her to the video so people could see that he was not doing real sign language. I saw the video yesterday with a little box in the corner showing her but the box has vanished from the videos online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Here is the article I saw this morning. http://www.kpic.com/news/national/Interpreter-at-Mandela-event-I-was-hallucinating-235579191.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I believe there is another thread that is discussing the same thing. Maybe the one that has the video of the little girl? Here it is. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/497330-they-should-have-hired-this-little-girl-to-interpret-mandelas-funeral/?hl=%2Blittle+%2Bgirl&do=findComment&comment=5356329 Aaaaaaaaaaah.......... I thought I'd lost my mind! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Not surprised. There were a series of big mistakes at the event, including a first wave of audience members who were not searched. If you follow the news coming out of SA about the government, you will see this as one of mamy such occurrences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Aaaaaaaaaaah.......... I thought I'd lost my mind! Thanks! Bummer. A conspiracy was more fun... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I saw him on tv today defending himself. He said he has been interpreting for years and has been on tv in South Africa and never had a problem. However- he also said he is being treated for schizophrenia and something about his meds being off. I couldn't pay too much attention because I was in a doctors' office waiting room and watching closed captioning, my kids, and filling out forms (multitasking ;) ). I wonder if he was having some sort of episode and decided it was better to continue rather than step down even if he was not in his right mind? On a news station here, They are reporting that he was reported to be a fake at an event or two before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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