Were the translation errors of critical relevance?

[Carana]

Yeah and if you are a bloke be careful how you ask for a gaslighter to be filled, when in Italy.... slapped face country is that.
And in France never try to say "don't let the fire out" or your mate might be incarcerated in a loony bin.
As for German well let's start with Flugzeug ...every schoolboy's favourite, do you interpret as aeroplane or flying tool.
Best just stay north of the soggy bit at Dover; life can be so hard.

"Olivier's Hamlet pronounced success"
Ghoti anyone?
Gimme strength.

Why am I always reminded of this vis a vis PdL ?:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pooh+in+rabbit%27s+holonee+eh+shepard&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=n8Zt2BycIqnNKM%253A%252CTIPSsbuzcqtWKM%252C_&usg=__0Zw-BmuS5sFFPz7oLeTDcbS7px4%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiS2pfvzdjYAhUEKcAKHUSEAcMQ9QEIMzAE#imgrc=n8Zt2BycIqnNKM:

Try listening to a French speaker talk about focus groups and keep a straight face. 

[Robittybob1]

Those who do know, because they were there, agreed with what the statements said and signed to confirm that.

Not necessarily They changed the language and the way things are said , Jane worked in feet and inches and it was converted incorrectly to metric, Jane still signed.  http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=9005.msg440747#msg440747

[G-Unit]

If a translator is unable to be accurate when using the written word, what chance an interpreter working from the spoken word?

First of all, those who kindly translated the PJ files were amateurs and volunteers. Those who did the interpreting were paid professionals.

Secondly, both jobs involve interpreting what was said or written so it makes sense. Google translate doesn't do that very well, so you can see the difference. That's why two different translators may give slightly different interpretations.

[Carana]

This isn't a translation error, but rather a lost-in-cultural-confusion one. Without the video, there would have been no record that Grime's assertion as to where Keela alerted was wrong. He must have been thinking of behind the driver's side of the door on a UK car (where the driver's side is on the right), but in (mainland) Europe, the driver's side is on the left. So, on paper, it reads as if she alerted on the opposite side to where she actually did.

Easy to dismiss as the video is available, thanks to a naughty fan. But what if there hadn't been a video record in a more complex case with a jury that would just take Grime's written statement indicating a hypothetically crucial alert on the wrong side as a "proven fact"?

This vehicle was then subjected to a full physical examination by the PJ and
no human remains were found. The CSI dog was then tasked to screen the
vehicle. An alert indication was forthcoming from the rear driver's side of the
boot area.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/MARTIN_GRIMES.htm

[G-Unit]

It does seem that the accusation of errors in interpretation is made with no evidence but more a desire to remove discrepancies from the narrative. If that were accepted as a general rule then unless recordings are made it would be virtually impossible a make a case through changing stories against a foreign language speaker.

If all the statements were dismissed as probably inaccurate it might make sense. In this case some statements are quoted as evidence, others dismissed as inaccurate. It seems to me to depend solely on whether the statement supports the poster's opinions or not.

[slartibartfast]

If all the statements were dismissed as probably inaccurate it might make sense. In this case some statements are quoted as evidence, others dismissed as inaccurate. It seems to me to depend solely on whether the statement supports the poster's opinions or not.

That does appear to be the case. IMO

[Carana]

First of all, those who kindly translated the PJ files were amateurs and volunteers. Those who did the interpreting were paid professionals.

Secondly, both jobs involve interpreting what was said or written so it makes sense. Google translate doesn't do that very well, so you can see the difference. That's why two different translators may give slightly different interpretations.

They would have been paid, but it's not clear whether they were professional interpreters or not. Murat certainly wasn't (although no one seems to have had a complaint about a misunderstanding in his case).

My issue is that I, for one, have no idea how competent the lady was who intepreted Gerry's statement on 4 May. Perhaps she was, or perhaps she was just the first person who was available at short notice with a working knowledge of basic English, until things got a bit more organised.

IMO, some people seem to attach a huge amount of importance to the supposed discrepancies without taking into consideration the possibility that it was just a lost-in-translation/ confusion issue, which got rectified at the next interview anyway. Whether that's the case or not, perhaps we'll never know.

[Carana]

If all the statements were dismissed as probably inaccurate it might make sense. In this case some statements are quoted as evidence, others dismissed as inaccurate. It seems to me to depend solely on whether the statement supports the poster's opinions or not.

I know that some have (on both sides of the fence).

[Carana]

We like errors that means we know the limits of what we are dealing with.
We like errors up to 2/12. That is a majority verdict in a UK Jury.
So provided the errors are not > 2/12 we is all happy;  right?

It might depend on whether what's at stake is a single potentially dissatisfied customer or whether you face the prospect of the electric chair...

[G-Unit]

Not necessarily They changed the language and the way things are said , Jane worked in feet and inches and it was converted incorrectly to metric, Jane still signed.  http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=9005.msg440747#msg440747

Are you able to give a cite to the statement in which Jane mentioned the man's height to the PJ? I can't find it.

[Robittybob1]

Are you able to give a cite to the statement in which Jane mentioned the man's height to the PJ? I can't find it.

Can you find the egg head drawing as well?  You must know that not all the files are released.

[G-Unit]

Can you find the egg head drawing as well?  You must know that not all the files are released.

I have found Jane's statement although you won't or can't.  Why she would assume that Europeans would be able to convert feet and inches to metres I don't know. The onus was on Jane to be clear what she meant in my opinion.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE-TANNER.htm

The egg head drawing was not made by the PJ, it was made by Simon Russell.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/5982953/Madeleine-McCann-E-fits-of-suspects.html?image=10

Why anyone would suggest that the PJ were showing it to people I can't imagine.

Edited removed goading.

[Robittybob1]

I have found Jane's statement although you won't or can't.  Why she would assume that Europeans would be able to convert feet and inches to metres I don't know. The onus was on Jane to be clear what she meant in my opinion.
http://www.mccannpjfiles.co.uk/PJ/JANE-TANNER.htm

The egg head drawing was not made by the PJ, it was made by Simon Russell.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/5982953/Madeleine-McCann-E-fits-of-suspects.html?image=10

Why anyone would suggest that the PJ were showing it to people I can't imagine.

If Jane commenced drawing a identikit but then said she had not seen the frontal aspect of the person's head you could get a head shape without features just showing the hair. 
"The e-fit of a man, as drawn from memory by British-born DVD shop owner Simon Russell after being shown it by police, in Praia Da Luz, following the disappearance of Madeleine McCann."  Are you calling Simon Russell a liar.  He says he was shown a similar drawing,  You have no reason to discount that.

As far as quoting a whole file I find that rather pointless sorry.  Jane says she expressed a height in feet and inches and later that was discovered the metric conversion was in error, so that happens. 

[Alice Purjorick]

there is another translation error that Jane Tanner mentions in Jane Tanner rogatory:

 "Reply    “Erm, phew, well, you know, I did it on the, I sort of pointed out where it was on the person that interviewed me originally and, erm, sort of, not six foot but taller than me but sort of not, but not, I’d say I think it was sort of about five foot nine, five foot ten.  But I think that had got confused in translation because I don’t know what it was in metres and they sort of then transferred that into metres from my statement, so I think it came out actually lower.  But I think it was sort of like five foot nine, five foot ten, as much as I could, so”."

It does not matter a toss. The average human being is crap at estimating time distance and mass whatever the units.

[Robittybob1]

It does not matter a toss. The average human being is crap at estimating time distance and mass whatever the units.

I was thinking that as I was reading her statement, wondering just what the police would do with the information.  OK it would eliminate very light or heavy suspects, very short or very tall suspects.  So the description is not totally useless information IMO.