Qingdao offers multi-language services to foreign visitors during Olympics -- china.org.cn

Foreign visitors troubled by language problems during Olympic sailing events will be provided with information and translation services in their mother tongues simply by dialing a specific telephone number in Qingdao, source with Qingdao Olympics Sailing Committee said Wednesday.

Considering the language problem visitors may encounter, Qingdao Olympics Sailing Committee was setting up a call center, where volunteers speaking fluent foreign languages will answer the calls made by language-troubled foreigners, giving directions or acquired information about traveling routes, weather forecast and sailing events schedule.

"Many foreigners worry about the communication barrier when they are traveling to a new place or having emergencies," said Sun Yanli, chief of the OTG (On The Go), a volunteer group responsible for setting up the call center with the support from the Communist Youth League Qingdao Committee.

"However, things will get easier if they seek help from the call center after it is put into operation soon," Sun said.

Qingdao, a harbor city of east China's Shandong province, also co-host city of the Beijing Olympic Games, is expected to attract as many as 200,000 visitors when Olympic sailing events kicks off here between Aug. 9-21.

"We have by far selected more than 60 volunteers from teachers, college students or citizens returning from overseas. Volunteers who speak English, Korean, Japanese and German are sufficient and we wants more Italian, Czech and Hungarian speakers," said Xia Zhengqi, deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League Qingdao Committee.

According to Qingdao Olympics Sailing Committee, the dialing number of the call center will be announced around 100 days ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Besides giving information to foreign visitors, the call center also prepares a special hotline, offering translation services to journalists.

The call center will remain to function after the Olympics period and foreigners working and living in Qingdao are expected to enjoy more conveniences.

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2008)