International Translation Day is celebrated on September 30 every year to celebrate the work of translators, language professionals who play an important role in ensuring a dialogue between countries contributing to development and strengthening of world peace.
The day was first established in 1991 by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) to show solidarity of the global translation community and to promote the profession of translation. The Federation is a conglomeration of associations which represents translators, interpreters, and terminologists. It was established in 1953.
The day was chosen as it is the same day on which the feast of St. Jerome is celebrated. St Jerome is considered a revered figure in the field of translation studies and is the patron saint of translators. He was a Christian scholar and priest who was the first person to translate Bible into Latin from the original Hebrew making it more accessible to readers.
International Translation Day was recently recognised as a world event. The United Nations (UN), on May 24, 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare September 30 as the International Translation Day.
Significance of International Translation Day
As the world moved towards globalisation, the importance of translators grew rapidly. The language professionals help in having a positive public discourse and interpersonal communication.
Translators help in transposition of literary work, scientific work, including technical work from one language to another which helps in progressing towards a better world. They help in understanding each other’s culture which encourages mutual respect for other cultures.
They also help in proper translation, interpretation, and terminology which is important for ensuring communication between different countries.
The work of translators and language professionals will only grow to become more important as we move towards a more interconnected world.
