International Translation Day was started in 2017 by the General Assembly of the UN (resolution 71/288) to pay tribute to the tireless work of translators all over the world.
It is celebrated every year on September 30th in honour of language professionals who help to facilitate global communication, bring nations together and foster world peace.
It is an opportunity for those of us who work within the industry to acknowledge and appreciate the work of colleagues, employees, friends, and other professionals in our field.
International Translation Day
Celebrated annually on September 30th, International Translation Day coincides with the feast of St. Jerome, the translator of the Bible and patron saint of translators.
Born in North-East Italy, St Jerome was a priest who was renowned for his language abilities.
He translated the Bible from Greek into Latin and also translated part of the Hebrew Gospels into Greek.
Although originally of Illyrian decent, he learned Latin in school and later became fluent in Greek and Hebrew.
Throughout his life he studied and travelled widely and died in Bethlehem on September 30th 420AD.
United Nations St. Jerome Translation Contest
Since 2005, the United Nations has invited employees and student linguists from partner universities to compete in its St. Jerome Translation Contest.
The contest covers the 6 official languages of the UN and also German.
It celebrates and rewards the best translations, promoting multilingualism and language professionals within multilateral diplomacy.
Language Professionals and Translation
Language plays an important role in our sense of identity, communication, education, development, and integration.
As such, language professionals like translators, interpreters and educators are essential in promoting understanding, ensuring cultural sensitivity and in supporting mutual cooperation.
They help to preserve cultural identity, build knowledge, and advance development.
Translators work within every type of industry from Agriculture to Zoology, and in every corner of the world, helping us to better understand each other and the world around us.
They have translated documents which helped us stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic, that educate us about climate change, or which facilitate technological advances.
Thanks to language professionals and translation, our world is more advanced, safe, diverse, and better informed.
They really are essential to our everyday lives and should be celebrated.
Here at Creative Word, we have worked with translators, linguists, and interpreters from all over the world for two decades.
On International Translation Day we’d like to take this opportunity to thank every single language professional we’ve worked with for their tireless devotion to improving global communication and for their continued contributions to the industry.
