Every year on September 30, many countries celebrate the professional holiday of interpreters and translators — International Translation Day.
In 2017, the UN General Assembly, at its regular meeting, unanimously adopted a Resolution (A/RES/71/288), which recognizes the role of professional translation in uniting peoples, in promoting peace, understanding and development, and declared September 30 as International Translation Day.
The purpose of the new international date — is to reaffirm that professional translation as a craft and art plays an important role in achieving the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, bringing peoples closer together, promoting dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation, promoting development and strengthening international peace and security.
«Postal horses of progress» — this is how Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin figuratively named translators, the importance of whose profession in the life of all humanity since the destruction of the Tower of Babel is enormous, although imperceptible. But without translators, many works of literature and cinema, achievements of science and technology would be inaccessible, people from different countries would not be able to communicate with each other...
But only in 1991 did translators have their own professional holiday: the International Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs (FIT) proclaimed September 30 as International Translation Day.
FIT itself was founded in 1953 in Paris and today brings together representatives of more than 100 translation associations from more than 60 countries around the world to exchange experiences, useful information and strengthen links between national organizations for the benefit of their translators, as well as to promote translation as a profession and art.
The date for the holiday was not chosen by chance; on this day, September 30, 420, Hieronymus of Stridonium, one of the four Latin fathers of the Church, writer, historian, translator, died. He is considered the patron saint of translators.
Hieronymus of Stridon was a man of mighty intellect and fiery temperament, travelled widely, and in his youth made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He later retired for four years to the Chalcidian Desert, where he lived as an ascetic hermit. Here he studied the Jewish and Chaldean languages and had, in his own words, only scorpions and wild animals as companions.
In 386, Jerome settled in Bethlehem. It was here that for many years he translated the Bible — Old and New Testaments into Latin. Eleven centuries later, his version was proclaimed by the Council of Trent as the official Latin text of Scripture (Vulgate). In addition, Jerome is believed to have been the originator of the Glagolitic alphabet.
According to a popular parable, Jerome took a splinter out of the paw of a lion, who has since become his devoted friend. In countless paintings, Saint Jerome is depicted as a scientist sitting in a cell, writing, and next to him is a lion.
Since 2005, the UN has held a Competition named after. St. Jerome for the best written translation in English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, French, and German. The purpose of the competition, which can include staff from Permanent Missions accredited to the UN, as well as students from partner universities, is to promote multilingualism and disseminate information about the importance of translators in implementing multilateral diplomacy.
Each year, events held as part of Translator's Day (congresses and conferences, corporate holidays and educational events, training trainings, round tables and seminars) are dedicated to a specific topic. So, over the years it was held under the mottos: «Translation — is the basis of multilingualism and cultural diversity», « Translator’s responsibility to the profession and society», «Many languages — one profession», «Terminology: words matter», «Quality standard in a polyphonic world», «Building bridges between cultures», «Translation as an intercultural connection», «United world — outside linguistic barriers», «Right to language: the basis of all human rights», «The changing face of interpretation and translation», «Interpretation and translation: Connecting worlds», «Translation: promoting the development of cultural heritage in an era of change», «A world without barriers: the role of language professionals in building culture, mutual understanding and lasting peace», «Translation reveals the diversity of humanity», etc.
Postcard «30 September — International Translation Day»