- The Olympic Games are an event that brings together a large number of nations and, therefore, several languages of the world.
By Ms. Courtney White, Professor at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG)
The Olympic Games are one of the most multilingual events in the world, so translators and interpreters are a key element for their smooth operation and dissemination.
Although it may seem easy, these games present a variety of lexical challenges, starting with the fact that “Olympic Games” and “Olympics” are used interchangeably, as are the names of some sports, for example, basketball (or basketball and basketball, equally valid) or judo (also judo).
There are also conflicting uses, such as in the case of “water polo,” the preferred form in Spanish, although the athletes who play it are called “waterpolistas.” In golf, a considerable number of English loanwords are still used, such as green, birdie o bogiealthough some terms, such as fairway y roughthe preferred forms are “street” and “maleza”.
There is even terminology less known to the general public, such as “canoeing”, for the sport practiced in a canoe or kayak and also known as “canoeing”, or the designation “regatta” for the races of rowing or sailing boats, such as skiffs, singles and even for sailing. windsurf (or sailboard).
Lexical curiosities
Other lexical curiosities include a complete glossary of Japanese terms used in judo to start competitions, give instructions or apply penalties. Beyond terminological curiosities, translators and interpreters need to know the names of countries around the world, as well as their abbreviations and nationalities, so they must have a very broad general culture, as well as an extensive bilingual glossary.
Much more about the writing keys for past Olympic Games can be found in guides prepared by the Fundación del Español Urgente and the RAE (https://www.fundeu.es/documentos/JuegosOlimpicosTokioGuiaFundeuRAE.pdf) or by checking the information on the official Paris 2024 website (https://olympics.com/es/paris-2024).
- Ms. Courtney White is the Director of the Master’s Degree in English-Spanish Translation and Interpretation at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), which she studied at this institution. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish from Azusa Pacific University. She is a member of the Mexican Organization of Translators and has a translation-interpretation portfolio that covers more than 20 specialized subjects.
2024-07-04 17:25:14
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