The Most Famous Interpreter in Ireland

No, it’s not President Obama(he tried his hand at Irish during his famous speech in Dublin). It’s Manuela Spinelli!

While interpretation and translation has never been recognized as a glamorous profession, there is one interpreter in Ireland who is changing that idea. Instead of translating literature or interpreting for the European Union, Italian interpreter Manuela Spinelli has found another industry that better suits her interests: professional football. One of popular sports figures in Italy, the Republic of Ireland’s national football team manager Giovanni Trapattoni, uses Italian interpreter Spinelli when speaking at press conferences or with the team. While Trapattoni is known for his warm demeanor, he is also known for his lackluster language skills.

manuela spinelli

Interpreters may also work for European sports organizations like the European Rugby Cup in Dublin, where Spinelli started as an interpreter. Now, she can be found aside Trapattoni, even imitating his signature hand gestures like him from time to time.  She talks about her job and the importance of learning another language in this video.

International athletics has long been an important part of simultaneous interpretation and conference interpretation. NBA players recruited from Europe need to communicate somehow! The Olympics, for example, draws on some of the most talented interpreters and high-tech equipment in the world. With representatives from over 200 countries and a fully packed schedule, there is little room for error. Additionally, every official document must be written in French and English.

CETRA has participated in sporting events like the annual meeting of the the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (International Fencing Federation).  For more information about CETRA’s translation and interpretation work, please contact Tony Guerra at (tony.guerra@cetra.com) .

download-our-3-tips-for-conference-solu