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I started studying [_Modern Japanese Grammar: A Practical
Guide_](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0415572010) by Naomi
McGloin et al. In section 1.2, there's the following example:

> [おどろいたことに、] 答えを知っている人はいませんでした。

Which is translated as:

> [Surprisingly,] no one knew the answer.

This translation sounds a bit off to me. I'd say that the sentence roughly
translates to "[Surprisingly,] the person who know the answer is absent",
which isn't equivalent to provided translation. I guess it'd be more adequate
if the original sentence was something like "[おどろいたことに、] 誰も答えを知らない". I think
that difference between "no one knew" and "person who know was not here" is
quite stark. Second one implies presence of someone who know while first one
does not.

Is this an error in the book or do I understand it incorrectly?
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translation
Translation of 答えを知っている人はいませんでした
"To be absent" is not the only translation of いない. Xはいない can mean both of the
following:

  1. X is (temporarily) not here; X is away; X is absent
  2. There is no X (anywhere); X does not exist

You have to determine the correct interpretation from the context. Usually
it's fairly easy.

>   * 宇宙人はいない。 Extraterrestrial intelligence does not exist.
>   * ネッシーはいない。 There is no
> [Nessie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster).
>

Regarding 答えを知っている人はいませんでした, it's indeed ambiguous, at least technically
speaking. If 答えを知っている人 has been already introduced in the universe of
discourse and a listener/reader understands who is that person in this
context, then your interpretation may be possible. Otherwise, "There was no
one who knew the answer" is the natural interpretation of this sentence.
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answer