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Paddy at Eurovision

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Eddie Mair | 13:00 UK time, Wednesday, 26 May 2010

paddy2.JPG"I've just left the commentators' briefing. This is where organisers swap information with the 39 (yes 39) countries who've sent a commentator. Even Australia is here.

Each country supplies the correct pronunciation in advance of each of the three shows. So when the Croatian commentator stood up he had to pronounce and then translate the title "Lako Je Sve." It's pronounced as seen except the J is soft as in Y.

He offered the translation "Easy to see." Since there are so many languages in the room, the Norwegian asked if that meant easy as in beautiful / easy on the eye, or instead easy to see as in clearly visible.

More countries are singing in their own languages than in recent years. Historically, English is the language of more winning acts than any other, but there is real enthusiasm when artists stick with their native tongue.

It might be for that reason that we English speakers will be faced
with a choice when we get to the Swiss entry, Il pleut de l'or.
Should we opt for It's raining gold, or instead the simpler golden shower?"

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