International Translation Day 2020: the essential facts

Translation is a discipline that has an international dimension. Indeed, lots of languages, even less common ones, are translated by professionals as well as by individuals every day. It therefore seems fair to devote one day a year to it.  

International Translation Day is being celebrated on 30 September 2020. This date marks the feast of Saint Jerome, who is considered the patron saint of translators par excellence. And for good reason, as he was the official translator of the Bible into Latin in the 3rd Century.  

International Translation Day: what is its purpose? 

This day is an opportunity to pay tribute to language specialists by emphasising the importance of what they do. We celebrate their work, which is remarkable, as it helps to bring together two or more cultures, to foster exchange of knowledge, open-mindedness and education. 

Technical translation is used in several fields such as economics, politics and literature. It is therefore invaluable for delivering clear messages, making major strategic decisions at the international level and maintaining peace across nations.  

A poster competition 

Language professionals – translators, interpreters and terminologists – are in the limelight on International Translation Day (ITD). A different theme is chosen each year. This year the International Federation of Translators chose the theme “finding the words for a world in crisis”. The aim is to invite professional graphic designers to create different posters related to the unifying theme, and the winning poster is used to promote the event.  

The International Federation of Translators (FIT) brings together the language-related professions. It governs the rules of International Translation Day and carefully chooses the annual theme to reflect the year.  

Becoming a professional translator 

Above all, to work as a translator, you need to have an excellent level in your mother tongue and in another language. You also need to have proficient knowledge in a specific field (literature, science, law, etc.). 

There are specialised schools that train you to work as a language professional, such as the Translation and International Communication School, and universities offer degrees in applied foreign languages. 

When we use the term translator, we tend to ignore two other professions in the same field: interpreter and terminologist. Interpreters are specialised in audio documents. Terminologists are linguists who are responsible for finding the equivalent word from the source language in the target language.  

Intertranslations works with skilled professionals who are able to meet your needs; visit our dedicated page for more information.  

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