Several months ago, I posted a message on this listserv in which I
recounted a story I had one heard President Carter tell on television. The gist
of the story was that on a visit to Japan, the president's translator, instead
of translating a joke, told the audience "please laugh at the President's
joke."
Apparently, there was some question as to whether this incident actually
occurred or was merely an "Urban Myth" (See Below). The implication seems to be
this; either I made up the story, (impossible), or, President Carter did,
(unlikely).
Curious, I investigated. I located a transcript of the episode of Charlie
Rose on which Carter had appeared. (They're on Westlaw in the CHRLROSE
database.) Alas, I was mistaken, he didn't tell the story there. Next, I
contacted the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta. It turned out that
President Carter had indeed told this story when he appeared on David Letterman
in September 1993. Any one who is interested in purchasing a tape of the show
can do so by contacting the Library. The address is:
Jimmy Carter Library and Museum
Carter Center
1 Copenhill Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307-1498
attn: David Stanhope
I leave you to your own conclusions about President Carter's trustworthiness.
Thanks for letting me waste your time with something so ridiculously trivial.
**************************************************
Jennifer Larraguibel
Foreign and International Law Reference Librarian
Ohio State University College of Law Library
55 W. 12th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-9417
jlarragu@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
****************************************************
>
> You wrote:
> > I offer the following story in lieu of an actual library joke.
> >
> > President Carter once visited Japan and gave a speech. He was a
> > bit
> > nervous and wanted to include some humor to break the ice. At a
> > certain point in his speech, he told a joke. When the joke was
> > translated, the crowd laughed uproariously. He was very pleased, and
> > continued on with his speech. Later, he learned that rather than
> > translating the joke, the translator had in fact said "President
> > Carter has just told a very funny joke. Please laugh now."
> >
> > I heard President Carter tell this story on Charlie Rose, so I
> > assume it is true.
> While I don't know whether former President Carter ever
> appeared on Charlies Rose, or what he said if he did, the joke above
> is an almost verbatim transcription of an old "Doonesbury" strip
> which occured while Duke was supposedly ambassador to China. The
> translater was the "Miss Honey" character.
>
> The story is amusing, but I seriously doubt that any translater
> would actually do such a thing to a current or former head of state.
> Of such things are urban myths born...
>
>
> Paul D. Healey, M.A.(LIS), J.D.
> Reference/Instructional Services Librarian
> Warren E. Burger Library
> William Mitchell College of Law
> 871 Summit Ave. St. Paul, MN 55105
> Phone: 612.290.6306 Fax: 612.290.6318
> e-mail: phealey@wmitchell.edu
>
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