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No translator has yet officially been credited with causing a full-scale war, but many have done their best to promote the complete breakdown of international relations, even without the help of machines. Magic moments include:

The Polish interpreter who translated former US president Jimmy Carter's: 'As I left America, I thought about how much I loved the Polish people' as: 'When I left America, never to return, I thought how I wanted to go to bed with the Polish people.'

Scandinavian vacuum maker Electrolux claimed in a US ad campaign: 'Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.'

The international company GPT opening its new offices in Paris, where for several days the switchboard politely welcomed callers with a cheery 'Bonjour, GPT,' which, when pronounced in French (Bonjour, j'ai pete), sounds exactly the same as: 'Hello, I have broken wind.'

The rendering in South Korea (and/or Taiwan - take your pick) of the long-time slogan: 'Come alive with Pepsi,' to imply that: 'Pepsi brings your ancestors back to life.'

The abject failure of the Opel Nova car in Spanish-speaking countries ('no va' means 'doesn't work'), leading to the subsequent relaunch of the identical and much more successful Opel Corsa and Chevy Caribe.

Parker Pens' imaginative  campaign for a ballpoint pen in Mexico, which should have boasted: 'It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you,' but failed to recognise that old false friend 'embarazar' and  proclaimed instead: 'It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.'

And finally, US president John F. Kennedy's defining moment at the Berlin Wall when  he made that immortal statement of solidarity with deep-fried pastries everywhere. 'Ich bin ein Berliner,' he said: 'I am a doughnut.' (A Berliner is a  German doughnut. If you want to say you are from Berlin, you have to omit the 'ein').



When words collide