At the height of the Cold War, Harold Macmillan, who was Prime Minister of Great Britain, was invited to address the Security Council of the United Nations.
Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier, was present at the occasion and disagreed violently with Macmillan's speech. His displayed his disapproval by removing one of his shoes and banging it furiously upon the table.
Unperturbed, Macmillan turned to one of the interpreters and said:
"I wonder if I might have a translation?"