Hay festival diary: Tales of the interpreter  How François
Mitterrand used to tease Margaret Thatcher, plus a
translatorless German's cock-up Amanda Galsworthy at the Hay
festival Amanda Galsworthy at the Hay festival. Photograph: Ben
Birchall/PA  ✒Amanda Galsworthy was one of four siblings, each
of them raised by their linguist father in a different European
language. Thus she has been the interpreter for every French
president since François Mitterrand (of whom she said "To this
day I don't know whether he spoke any English at all"). In
conversation with broadcaster Jon Snow she described the way
Mitterrand used to tease Margaret Thatcher by indicating
Galsworthy and having her translate into English: "This young
woman is one of yours." He would then pause, smile
provocatively, and add: "But she works for us."  ✒Thatcher
eventually got her revenge. At a lunch, at which Galsworthy was
a fellow guest, she beckoned the interpreter over. In her
loudest possible voice, she said: "A friend of mine has a son
who h