Olympic Legends Push Language Tech on Late Night TV

Some of the most decorated Olympic athletes returned to the big screen this Olympics as guest co-hosts of a late night talk show on Brazilian TV. Sounds basic.  The catch, the host asks the four accomplished guests questions in Portuguese, and they respond in English.  Sometimes, the guests spoke a language other than English.  The program was broadcast in Portuguese.

It’s as if the UN has gone late night.

“The program shows what is possible within interpretation, as well as the significant amount of training and preparation time the interpreters need to get ready for assignments. It’s very impressive to learn not just the language, but the nuances of a specific topic, such as gymnastics, swimming or fencing, to be able to accurately interpret,” said Robin Smith, the manager of interpretation services at CETRA and CETRASign.

The show, “É campeão,” which is roughly translated as “It’s the Champions,” created a buzz during the Rio Olympics and received rave reviews for being witty, insightful and fun.

For more on “É campeão” and the interpretation provided during the program see the articles in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Learn more about interpretation and translation.