Klopp, translator in communication blunder

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his translator had a breakdown in communication when the German was answering questions about his former side Borussia Dortmund’s chances of UEFA Europa League progression.

Dortmund won 2-0 at home to Porto in the first leg of their own last-32 tie, but Klopp warned that they’ve not qualified yet, saying “die Trauben hangen hoch” – a German proverb for something that’s hard to accomplish.

But his translator misheard the Liverpool manager, instead thinking he’d talked about “traumen” in concluding that Dortmund were in “dreamland”.

Eventually Klopp used simpler words that were far easier to understand, causing the German to burst out laughing that they’d finally found common ground.

Augsburg boss Markus Weinzierl played along with the gag afterwards, joking that “die Trauben hangen hoch” for themselves in Liverpool after holding the Reds to a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg.

SCRIPT:

JURGEN KLOPP (German)

“Dortmund has one leg in the next round. They will see this differently, because… I can say this without thinking about an English translation. That’s his job. The grapes are hanging high in Porto [‘die Trauben hängen hoch’ – a German proverb for something that’s hard to accomplish].”

TRANSLATOR (English)

“Borussia Dortmund beat Porto 2-0 today, and what do you think if there would be the possibility if you would actually meet them in a further leg? Well, you can say that they’re one leg now in the next round, and they will be – as a literal translation – ‘in dreamland’.”

JURGEN KLOPP (German)

“‘Die Trauben hängen hoch’ – that is ‘dreamland’? No, ‘die Trauben hängen hoch’ means…

TRANSLATOR (German)

“How would you translate it?”

JURGEN KLOPP (German)

“No idea! It’s a huge challenge. ‘die Trauben hängen hoch in Porto’ means it will be extremely difficult to win in Porto.”

TRANSLATOR (English)

“It’s very difficult to win in Porto! It’s very difficult!”

MARKUS WEINZIERL (German)

“We have worked hard to get this good starting situation for the second leg next week, to maybe pull off the sensation in Liverpool. But of course we know, that in Liverpool ‘die Trauben hoch hängen’.”

TRANSLATOR (German)

“Now I understand that! Now I understood the grapes!”

TRANSLATOR (English)

“We’re in a good position, and who knows, maybe we can have a sensation, but it is difficult to win there.”

By Reuters