Interesting story here for language buffs. The European Union, celebrating 50 years in business, has issued a document, the Berlin Declaration, congratulating itself on its general wisdom and wonderfulness. The Declaration was originally written out in German, but has been translated into various European languages.

It appears that the translations don’t all jibe with the original. The German form of the Declaration says, for example, that “Wir Bürgerinnen und Bürger der Europäischen Union sind zu unserem Glück vereint.” (Babelfish: “We citizens and citizens of the European union are united to our luck.” Derb: “We burgeresses and burgers of the EU are united in happiness.”) The English version downgrades this to: “We, the citizens of the European Union, have united for the better.”

Actually, the German word “Gluck” is one of those Indo-European words, like Latin felicitas, that dwells uncertainly on the conceptual boundary between “happiness” and “good luck.” Either way, the English translators found it too gushy, substituting cautious hopes “for the better.” The Brits are having none of that boisterous Teutonic enthusiasm for life, thanks very much!