Small People by BP Angers Gulf Residents
June 17, 2010 by Durjaya Ganapathiraman · 1 Comment
A lot of people were angry over the ‘Small people’ Comment announced by BP, and because of this, they have promised that they will be helping out in the restoration of the effects of the Oil Spill caused by the Company. See the complete details of the Small People by BP Angers Gulf Residents news as they hand over the details.
BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, repeated the announcement on We care about the small people”, After apologizing, BP now promise to provide $20B in the restoration of the Gulf coast affected by the BP oil Spill.
“Small people” is a nearly literal translation of a fairly common Swedish expression, best translated as “the exposed people” or “the vulnerable people,” when used in this context. It describes people who are affected by something that encompasses them and is beyond their control.
I’m Swedish, so I’m judging from how the nearly literal translation comes across when used in this context in Swedish (the expression “den lilla människan”).
Swedish politicians and media sometimes use this expression when talking about political decisions that have large effects, discussing how individual people are exposed to these large effects, and talking about the fact that the politicians are responsible.
I’m sure Svanberg tried to convey that BP is aware that the spill has had huge effects on people’s entire environment. These people are encompassed, surrounded by all these huge, devastating effects. In this way they are exposed and vulnerable. And BP is responsible, and mustn’t shy away from responsibility.
That’s how it comes across in Swedish.
But I don’t understand why BP isn’t explaining this, using more or less these words. Surely they can afford a professional translator or interpreter who could explain.