International Translation Day
International Translation Day is celebrated on 30th September to mark the vital role translation plays in bridging the communication gap within our dynamic and culturally diverse communities.
In an era of advanced globalization, translation has never been more essential for borderless social and economic development, and harmonious cultural diversity. Language is a means of communicating thoughts and ideas, but it also represents social identity and connectivity and is a crucial catalyst for prosperity and growth.
Each year there is a different theme for International Translation Day, in 2024 the theme is ‘Translation, an art worth protecting‘.
International Translation Day History
The word “translation” comes from a Latin term meaning “to bring or carry across”. Translations have contributed to the creation of the world’s cultures, facilitated trade, allowed ideas and innovations to spread and simply, enabled people to communicate and understand each other.
International Translation Day is celebrated every year on 30th September on the feast of St. Jerome. St Jerome was the first person to translate the Bible into Latin from Hebrew, making it accessible for the first time to a far wider audience than ever before. St Jerome is considered to be the patron saint of translators. The celebrations have been promoted by FIT (the International Federation of Translators) ever since it was set up in 1953. In 1991 FIT launched the idea of an officially recognized International Translation Day to show solidarity of the worldwide translation community in an effort to promote the much-underrated translation profession in different countries.
Even though International Translation Day has been celebrated by the language service community since 1991 when the International Federation of Translators (FIT) started to promote the profession, it wasn’t officially recognized until 24th May 2017. On this day, the UN’s General Assembly met to discuss “the role of professional translation in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding, and development”. Eleven countries bore witness to the resolution; Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Paraguay, Qatar, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam, to recognize the work of translators worldwide.
According to the UN, “International Translation Day is meant as an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, which plays an important role in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to the development and strengthening world peace and security.”
Significance of the day
It’s a great opportunity to display pride in a profession that is becoming increasingly essential in the era of progressing globalization, and also to recognize and show appreciation to the hard-working translators all over the world.
International Translation Day provides an opportunity for translators, students, publishers, booksellers, bloggers, and reviewers to gather together and debate significant issues and developments within the sector, to discuss mutual challenges, and to celebrate their success.
International Translation Day encourages everyone to reflect on the importance of language services, recognize the value of our translators and join in celebrating the beauty and possibilities of language. So here’s to all of the hard-working, dedicated translators that enable us to be able to communicate effectively and break down language barriers all over the world!
“Love and translation look alike in their grammar. To love someone implies transforming their words into ours.” – Andrés Neuman
Suggested Read: Important Days In September
