A tiny TRANSLATION mistake might cause Hiroshima BOMB. Believe it?
In World War II, the allied leaders issued the Potsdam Declaration, insisting on unconditional surrender by Japan.
Asked about his government’s response to the declaration, Mr. Suzuki, the then Japanese prime minister, used the Japanese word ‘黙殺’ (mokusatsu)
This word has a double meaning: “ignore with contempt/not pay attention to” OR “refrain from any comment”.
Under the pressure of time, the translators were not able to DECIDE which of these two equivalents Suzuki meant.
They opted for the first “ignore with contempt”. Most war records indicate that Mr. Suzuki meant the first (in other words ‘no comment’).
That mistranslated message outraged the allied leaders, who decided to DROP THE NUCLEAR BOMB.
Disastrous if it was true, right?