The organizers of the Special Olympics World Summer Games, which
open here next month, are looking for more volunteer translators to
help ensure the event's success.
So far, more than 40,000 people, most of them college students,
have volunteered to help in a variety of roles at the Games, which
run from October 2-11.
However, a spokesman for the event's steering committee said
yesterday there was still a need for people who can speak Arabic or
Spanish, to ensure every athlete, coach and visitor is well looked
after.
Chen Zhenmin, head of the executive committee volunteer
department, said 65,000 people had offered their services since
last September, 40,000 of whom had passed the stringent selection
process.
Ranging in age from 18 to 85, more than 60 percent of the
volunteers can speak a second language, including more than 2,000
who can speak less common ones.
Chen said all delegations whose mother tongue is Spanish or
Arabic will be supported by at least two or three translators, but
he called for more speakers of these languages to come forward.
"We have enlisted nearly all the students from the Spanish and
Arabic language departments at foreign-studies colleges and
universities, so now we are hoping people working at foreign
companies can help us," he said at a media briefing.
"Shanghai people have shown great enthusiasm to get involved
with the Special Olympics and we really appreciate their support,"
he said.
Since July, all volunteers have been learning about the Special
Olympics, as well as getting advice from experts from East China
Normal University on the specific needs of people with intellectual
disabilities.
"It will be quite a tough job, but very fulfilling. We're ready
to be wherever we're needed," Lu Xiaojun, a student from Shanghai
Normal University, said.
Of the 40,000 volunteers, two-thirds of them are women and there
are 108 foreigners. They will work at 30 sports venues, 107 hotels
and 155 reception communities across 19 districts and counties.
(China Daily September 18, 2007)