Today's Edition
Rome (dpa)
An interpreter working for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has made a public apology after apparently struggling with translating during a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump.
"What happened is the worst thing that can happen to an interpreter, terribly embarrassing," Valentina Maiolini-Rothbacher told Saturday's Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Noticing that her interpreter was struggling, Meloni took over and translated her own remarks into English.
"Meloni was right to interrupt me. It was a very important session, and every word carried great weight," Maiolini-Rothbacher said.
"Luckily I didn't say anything stupid," she added.
The interpreter noted that it was the first time for her in the White House, that she had not received assistance and that there had been a lot of noise.
Trump had then addressed her, saying "Please, please... ." She said that all of this must have confused her.
Interpreters are usually present at international meetings, as political leaders prefer to use their native tongue in public even when they speak good English, as Meloni does.
Maiolini-Rothbacher is a highly experienced interpreter and has worked at a number of summits.
