Gazette:Jokes: Olympic Games - Translation, please

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La Gazette




By JIM SOUHAN, Star Tribune


One intriguing and occasionally hilarious aspect of covering the Olympics in a foreign country is the presence of interpreters, many of whom, especially in China, seem under orders to avoid controversial questions and answers.

At beach volleyball, every answer from a Chinese player seemed to be a scripted speech from a Zen handbook. The other day a 19-year-old volleyball player was asked an innocuous question and this was the response, once filtered through the translator:

"I have exhausted myself totally. I have exhausted each and every ounce of strength I have and wisdom I harbor, and this is the best possible experience and match I have had in my whole lifetime.

"Beach volleyball is such that it is entertaining in nature, yet it really advocates a good fighting spirit.

Her real answer was probably something like: "We just take it one match at a time.

A story in the China Daily on Wednesday featured a quote that probably wasn't doctored by a translator. China women's basketball coach Thomas Maher, after his team beat Belarus in a sloppy game, said this of his players: "We're like reformed drug addicts. We have to focus very, very hard. Otherwise we will fall back to bad habits very quickly.

Why would be bring up J.R Rider like that?

Star Tribune


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