BP: 'We Care About The Small People'

6/16/10: After meeting with President Obama, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg tells the world that BP cares about the "small people," contrary to popular belief. Last month, Svanberg said, "The US is a big and important market for BP, and BP is also a big and important company for the US, with its contribution to drilling and oil and gas production."

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• oilpocalypse
• BP
• BP spill
• Gulf spill
• oil spill
• Carl-Henric Svanberg
• Obama
• news
• politics

[omgwtfdpsdps]

His English is surprisingly bad. This is a guy who has worked the top echelons of global companies for over 20 years, a place where the everyday language is English.

[denberg2]

I am English, I was born in London and have lived here all my life. I think his English is excellent. He definitely has a Swedish accent but it does not interfere with his English pronunciation. He hasn't missed out any syllables. Everything he says is clear. I think his critics on this site are simply trying to attack him because of his "small people" comments, which have nothing whatsoever to do with his pronunciation.

[GodOfUnbelief]

Jag skulle uppfatta uttrycket 'den lilla människan' på svenska som precis lika arrogant som uttrycket 'the small people' på engelska låter. Ser ingen poäng med att kalla människan som liten överhuvudtaget.

[Cambrand]

The thing is that the term "the small people" is something when said in Swedish, which he is, isn't meant the same way as when said in English. Not saying he chose his words right, but the saying is much worse in english than swedish.

[Xaeleep]

@sk8erpunk351 nah the thing is, that hes from swden and there the term "little people" isnt an insult but that is what you call them who are the so called regular ones^^ thats the best way i can explain it ;P

[jontebiogas10]

Its a swedish expression and he doesnt know it does not exist in english...

/emberased swed

[denberg2]

@AlexanderHvass I don't speak Swedish. His English seems quite good in this short news report. He probably just didn't realise how people would react to what he said.

[AlexanderHvass]

@denberg2 His pronounciation is decent yeah, but of course his english is bad because the swedish translate to "small people" would most likely have been "den lilla människan" which is as you also probably understand 'the little guy'. If he doesn't understand how choice of words and what it would actually mean in this context then I do indeed think his english is really really bad. Plus I know for a fact that he strangley enough have a history of just plain and simple bad english.

[mightymagnus]

@Mrpewpew1, if he would be speaking with an better accent perhaps people (not the small ones) have better understanding for making errors (like the one he did)... I speak bad English when I get pressure, perhaps this is a pressured situation even for an CEO of large multinational company... Otherwise he is a good speaker in front of people on a stage (only had a lecture with him in Swedish) and perhaps he got a little bit to confident with himself...

[Mrpewpew1]

According to swedish newspapers his english is actually better than the way he's showing it here if I remember correctly. He's having the bad swedish accent on purpose. Don't know why but he does.