Lost in Translation

How does interpretation work at the United Nations?

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi delivered a rambling address to the United Nations in New York City on Wednesday morning, calling Barack Obama “our son” and railing against the U.N. Security Council. He spoke not in Arabic, Libya’s official language, but a local Libyan dialect. Does the United Nations have an interpreter for every dialect in the world?

More information: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2009/09/lost_in_translation.html