Independent senator Feargal Quinn enjoys his trips to Japan despite struggling with the language. As he says himself "I feel very tall". On a recent visit to talk about retailing, and wearing his Superquinn hat, he presented himself to two translators assigned to convey his unique management style at three presentations to a most polite local audience. He always relies on a injection of humour to convey his message. Humble as he is, he describes the stories he tells at such gatherings as simply "great".
The man and woman translators were briefed on the significance of each tale in advance so they could translate not only the words but the actual sense of the yarn. Sadly, there was next to no response on day one. It was just a little better on day two. On day three there was an enormous response to his stories with great laughter all round. Afterwards he approached the woman to say how well it went. She shrugged and implied it was really her companion who did it. He acknowledged it went well without indicating exactly why day three got such a smashing response. The bemused senator later learned that the roars of laughter coincided with the translator's comment: "The speaker is telling you what he thinks is a funny story. I will tell you when to laugh."