Beth Androuais: French pays off in China

I hear the gymnastics gala is the third-most popular event, after the opening and closing ceremonies, here at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. I haven’t been able to verify that information on the Internet though.

But I have primo seats.

Julia Shuck and I will be sitting at the announcer’s table during the gala. I went to the announcer’s table today, and it’s pretty much on level with the raised floor of the gymnastics floor exercise platform. Pretty good view, I’d say.

How did I get these seats?

Beth Androuais chats (in French) with Dr. Zhang's mother-in-law during a meet-the--professor dinner at Renmin.

Speaking French.

See, there is a French-speaking announcer, an English-speaking announcer and a Chinese-speaking announcer. The French-speaking announcer has been asked to introduce the gala events in French and in English, even though he hasn’t had to announce events in English up until now. He says his English is not too strong, so he asked one of the venue managers, a French man who teaches English in France, to translate the text for him. That manager could very well have done it, but decided he had too much work and that I would appreciate the opportunity more. I gladly translated the text. So the introductions you hear in English at the gymnastics gala will be my translation, potentially with some tweaks by the French announcer. And maybe I’ll appear in the background of the gala on TV, so for those of you who can’t be at the gala in person, you have an excuse to watch the gala on TV.

– Beth Androuais

Check out Julia Shuck’s blog by clicking here. Also, use the list of MU Student blogs to take a tour of the Missouri/Beijing students’ blog postings, including Beth Androuais’ personal blog.