As the Rio Olympics enter full swing, Japan is also gearing up for another kind of competition, namely the race to nurture volunteer interpreters for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Next month, seven universities specializing in foreign languages — including Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Kobe City University of Foreign Studies and Kansai Gaidai University — will jointly hold a four-day intensive seminar in Chiba Prefecture so students can brush up on their translation skills.
With their sights set on the Tokyo Olympics, the universities launched the program last year to allow students to deepen their knowledge about the Olympics, foreign culture and hospitality.
About 400 specially selected students are expected to take part in the September workshops. More.
See: The Japan Times
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Local time: 17:52
French to English
Whay volunteers? Why not paid professionals?
Canada
Local time: 11:52
English to French
I understand your point of view. Although, Olympics are mostly based on volunteers.
Brazil
Local time: 12:52
English to Portuguese
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Why volunteers? Why not paid professionals?
Why spend money on paid professionals, when they have thousands of language students eager to get some practice, and possibly meet some newsworthy stars.
Of course, sponsored TV stations will hire professional interpreters to interview athletes.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 17:52
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Whay volunteers? Why not paid professionals?
So that a professional athlete and their sponsors may earn millions per month? If other people weren't so underpaid, they couldn't be so overpaid.
Spain
Local time: 16:52
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
It seems there is no end to the euphemisms available when you're wanting work from people but you don't fancy paying for it. We used to call it "conning" people, but I suppose that isn't PC nowadays.
Local time: 17:52
French to English
So whilst a number of big names can earn colossal amounts of money in sport, the average athlete does not necessarily earn a living from it. Also, we need to bear in mind that until the 1990's, the Olympics were only open to amateurs. Technically speaking, until then, athletes could not compete if they earnt money from their sport. It became too difficult to control and so the rule disappeared. There is thus a tradition of non-professional competitors.
As the source field becomes increasingly professionalised, but not for all, it is a shame that those in "satellite" positions don't follow suit.
Examples :
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/replay-magazine/france-2/complement-d-enquete/video-complement-d-enquete-gael-querin-champion-de-l-equipe-de-france-aux-chaussures-trouees_1459059.html
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/04/the-5-highest-paid-athletes-competing-in-the-rio-olympics.html?slide=1
[Edited at 2016-08-13 11:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:52
Portuguese to English
+ ...
used volunteers at their last conference. Doesn't this say it all?
Japan
Local time: 00:52
Japanese to English
I appreciate the fact that the article mentions this:
Netherlands
Local time: 17:52
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
I have just come back from Rio as a volunteer where I used, among other things, my language skills. It was part of the reason I was chosen as a volunteer, although I was not there specifically as an interpreter. There were also lots of medical profession... See more
I have just come back from Rio as a volunteer where I used, among other things, my language skills. It was part of the reason I was chosen as a volunteer, although I was not there specifically as an interpreter. There were also lots of medical professionals on the venue, also volunteers. And I am sure lots of others volunteered their professional skills too.
Why go as a volunteer? Because it is fun to be part of it all. I did the same in London. I would recommend it to anyone as a fantastic experience. ▲ Collapse
Germany
Local time: 17:52
English to German
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Only this morning, I heard on the radio that $1.8Bn will be spent on the next olympic gammes.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 17:52
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Only this morning, I heard on the radio that $1.8Bn will be spent on the next olympic gammes.
When I referred to overpaid athletes, it was a general observation, not just about Olympic Games. A professional soccer player makes more than a brain surgeon? Where's the reasoning? And yes, I am sure there are many volunteers out there who will be more than happy to interpret for FIFA for free.
Latvia
Local time: 18:52
English to Latvian
A professional soccer player makes more than a brain surgeon? Where's the reasoning?
The best brain surgeons do not sell tens of thousands of tickets to the public every week for the privilege to see them work. Millions of people do not watch their TVs every week for the same. Brain surgeons are not paid to be the promoters of the latest products, since the advertisers know that most consumers will not take a second glance at an advertisement just because there is a famous brain surgeon depicted in it.
Brain surgeons undergo long years of training to perform a valuable service for the community. In recognition of that, they are, in most cases, compensated very well for it. However, just because athletes do not save lives it does not follow that they are less valuable to the society. For better or worse, many people voluntarily spend quite a lot of money to watch sports and express support for the athletes of their choice. Would they still do it if they didn't feel it benefits them somehow? In fact, so many sports fans do this that the best soccer/football/baseball/etc. teams earn hundreds of millions every year. If all athlete salaries would be artificially capped, the owners would pocket even more of the revenues, leaving (in comparison) peanuts to the actual earners. In short, the perception of "unfairness" of paying millions to entertainers exists only because many do not realize that the entertainers in question earn even more money to their employers and sponsors.
As an aside, the Olympics are hardly an appropriate context to raise the point about overpaid athletes. Most Olympic sports are barely (if at all) commercialized.
[Edited at 2016-08-22 10:00 GMT]
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