Struggle to Find International Sports Translators for the Olympic Games

International translators abound and specialize in hundreds of different jobs and skills but the amount of international translators who specialize in sports translation is harder to find. For one thing, the Olympics only happen for a short amount of time comparatively to a full time job as an international translator for computer science or localization specialist of video games. So the search for an estimated 10,000 sports translators will be a touch challenge for the Beijing Olympic Committee.

The Beijing Daily newspaper quoted a research report that found less than 1.3 percent of the 15,000 professional translators and interpreters they surveyed to be specifically good at sports interpretation and translation. It takes many years to become certified as a professional translator for the Olympic Games. In addition to the considerable number of events to cover, each event covers a range of sub topics that require translating of other documents including legal, medical and cultural topics. The average length of time it takes to be considered a competent professional Olympic translator is at least five years. The reason being is because the content needs to be flawless. Besides perfect grammar and enunciation of words professional translators must take time to

• Acquire various lingoes
• Be up to date on new words/phrases slang
• Be knowledgeable about current events of each focused country
• Follow sports trends, especially all the rules of the ones being translated

Anyone who has ever traveled or seen or heard poor translation knows how embarrassing, confusing, offensive or just hilarious poorly translated words can be. The Olympic Games committee understands the sensitivity and the highly emotionally charged pressure that comes with the Olympic sports and all the countries participating in them. Therefore, they cannot take any chances hiring less than qualified translators.

While the hunt is on to find qualified professional translators who know the politics as well as rules of track and field in France as well as Russia, or understand Korean and American gymnastic differences, other professional translators who speak Chinese, Spanish, French, English, Russian and Japanese for other companies will be getting crash courses on tack and field events, swimming, biking and more.

About the author : Melissa Peterman is a web content producer for Innuity. For more information about professional translation , go to MultiLing.