President Zelenskyy's speeches keep bringing the people translating them to tears

President Zelenskyy's speech to the European Parliament ended in a standing ovation.
This past week, we have seen what courageous, compassionate leadership looks like in the incredible response of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy was given the opportunity to evacuate under U.S. protection and he chose instead to stay in Ukraine and fight for his country, saying "I need ammunition, not a ride." He delivered an emotional appeal to the Russian people, calling on them to recognize that ordinary people—both Russian and Ukrainian—will be the ones to suffer if Russia wages war. He and his leadership team have shared messages from the streets of Kyiv, reassuring his fellow Ukrainians that they will continue to fight alongside them.
Absolutely heart shattering.Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his officials, standing strong in Kyiv, recording the words: \u201cWe are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine!" #UkraineRussiapic.twitter.com/ekTNPrQVSN— Dr. Jennifer Cassidy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Dr. Jennifer Cassidy \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1645816864
The calm, courage and resolve Zelenskyy has demonstrated has captured the hearts of freedom-loving people around the world. His words have also moved interpreters to tears as he calls upon the humanity in all of us in supporting Ukraine against Russia's attacks.
Zelenskyy addressed the European parliament today, explaining the current situation in Ukraine, where cruise missiles hit Freedom Square in Kharkiv and cities are all blocked. You can hear the interpreter fighting back tears as she translates the president's message that they are fighting for their land and their freedom.
Wow, I've never heard a translator for a head of state get choked up like this. \n\nThe emotion is clear, in both word and delivery:\n\n"Nobody is going to break us. We're strong. We're Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it's a fair one."pic.twitter.com/fMPinmIRmY— Nora Neus (@Nora Neus) 1646136001
Once again, Zelenskyy's words were powerful: "Nobody is going to break us. We're strong. We're Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it's a fair one."
Zelenskyy's speech was received with a standing ovation from the members of the European Parliament.
The interpreter's emotional reaction was shared by another Ukrainian interpreter a few days ago. As she attempted to translate Zelenksyy's speech live on German TV, the interpreter burst into tears and couldn't continue.
The translator of the German newspaper Welt burst into tears while translating Zelensky's latest video message.pic.twitter.com/KT9HUyKZMy— KyivPost (@KyivPost) 1645961342
She shared what happened on Twitter, writing, "I'm a conference interpreter, I interpret 10 hrs peace talks. But today live on German TV I couldn't finish interpreting Zelensky, during his last words I broke into tears."
"I love you all, my fellow Ukrainians," she added.
I'm a conference interpreter, I interprepret 10 hrs peace talks. But today live on German TV I couldn't finish interpreting Zelensky, during his last words I broke into tears.\n\nI love you all, my fellow Ukrainianshttps://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1497850848185040897\u00a0\u2026— Die Welt \u00dcbersetzerin \ud83c\udf3b (@Die Welt \u00dcbersetzerin \ud83c\udf3b) 1645951724
By showing he won't back down and by calling on people's common humanity, Zelenskyy has moved and inspired the free world and rallied allies behind him around the globe. Even Switzerland, which has famously remained neutral in conflicts, has taken its side and sanctioned Russia for the invasion.
Whatever the political outcome, President Zelenskyy has given the world a hero to root for and won over the hearts of people in a way that authoritarian dictators will never be able to.
Zelenskyy's full speech to the European Parliament is worth a watch:
- This resilient Ukrainian city may just have the most beautiful murals ... ›
- The beautiful, heartbreaking words of Ukrainian poet Borys ... ›
- Ukrainian soccer player moved to tears as crowd shows support ... ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."