I have found the Pope's original speech (in the original german)
here
and the Vatican's translation
here
Translation is an inexact science. It is clear comparing the German to the English that the translation is not that good. (The greek gets completely lost)
I have also read the BBC's report
here
which appears to be based upon the english translation
What the original german quotation refers to is the concept of forcing religion upon people through violence as being "evil and inhuman" and that is the object for which the Pope uses the quotation.
It is clear that the translator has changed some of the key nuances which add to the difficulties. However, where he says in german that the statement by the Kaiser was "astonishing" it is translated as "startlingly brusque". Similarly the nuances are lost in reference to jihad - where the english refers to holy war and the german to "jihad, holy war so as to speak".
Much that a large number of problems arise from the misunderstanding of what jihad actually means, the failure to translate the German well into English does not help.
In a sense this dispute shows the tensions in the world. The Vatican has since 1965 seen itself as holding Muslims "in esteem". Some relatively subtle errors of presentation in German, mistranslated into English and then further misrepresented by the media have built up quite a storm.
here
and the Vatican's translation
here
Translation is an inexact science. It is clear comparing the German to the English that the translation is not that good. (The greek gets completely lost)
I have also read the BBC's report
here
which appears to be based upon the english translation
What the original german quotation refers to is the concept of forcing religion upon people through violence as being "evil and inhuman" and that is the object for which the Pope uses the quotation.
It is clear that the translator has changed some of the key nuances which add to the difficulties. However, where he says in german that the statement by the Kaiser was "astonishing" it is translated as "startlingly brusque". Similarly the nuances are lost in reference to jihad - where the english refers to holy war and the german to "jihad, holy war so as to speak".
Much that a large number of problems arise from the misunderstanding of what jihad actually means, the failure to translate the German well into English does not help.
In a sense this dispute shows the tensions in the world. The Vatican has since 1965 seen itself as holding Muslims "in esteem". Some relatively subtle errors of presentation in German, mistranslated into English and then further misrepresented by the media have built up quite a storm.
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