International Translation Day (ITD) is celebrated on the 30th of September every year. This date marks the feast of St. Jerome, patron saint of translators.
ITD was created to provide an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals. When this international day was declared, The United Nations wanted to recognise the important role translators play in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development, and strengthening world peace and security.
Every year, the UN host the UN St. Jerome Translation Contest among staff and select universities to honour International Translation Day. The contest rewards the best translations in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and German. Similarly, the International Federation of Translators also hold an annual poster competition based on the year’s theme. This year’s poster can be seen below.
This year’s theme is United in Translation. It encourages us to see how translation and language professionals have brought unity in a time when COVID-19 has kept us apart. This theme points out how significant translation has been in resolving problems arising from this global crisis, in big ways and small. Translation is what makes it possible for us to come together and understand one another, and that is something to be celebrated.
Translationz is Proud to Celebrate
Our staff at Translationz are proud to celebrate all language professionals on this day. Translationz would like to recognise the important work our translators and interpreters have done during this past year. Our translators have provided essential COVID-19 information in multiple different languages, as well as assisted with the arrival of Afghan asylum seekers in Queensland in a culturally safe way. This is truly fitting with this year’s theme; bringing unity through translation.