Happy International Translation Day 2017!

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

International Translation Day (ITD) has been celebrated since 1953, on September 30^th, the day of the Feast of Saint Jerome, under the auspices of the Féderation Internationale des traducteurs (FIT). Using the Catholic Church’s Calendar of Saints, Saint Jerome was selected patron Saint of Translators, as he is purported to have delivered the first complete Latin translation of the Bible, commissioned by Pope Damasus I. Saint Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible, from Greek, became officially known as the Vulgate. It was translated and compiled at the end of the Fourth century AD.

However, this year is special, because earlier during the year, on May 24, 2017, during the 82nd Meeting of the 71st Session of the United Nations, the General Assembly adopted UN resolution 71/288, which deeply recognizes:

"the practical contribution of language professionals, both in conference servicing and in the field, to furthering the cause of the United Nations, including in the maintenance of peace and security, peacekeeping, the promotion of human rights and operational activities for sustainable development,"

and decided on September 30th as International Translation Day, with an invitation to :

"all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations and individuals, to observe International Translation Day, in an appropriate manner and in accordance with national priorities, in order to raise awareness of the importance of professional translation, and stresses that the cost of such activities should be met from voluntary;"

FIT always celebrates International Translation Day (ITD) with a theme. Consonant with the preamble of UN Resolution 71/288, which recognizes that the strength of the world stems from its diversity, the theme selected by FIT, for ITD 2017, is Diversity.

Woohoo! September 30, 2017  is a day of many celebrations!

References

FIT - Féderation Internationale de Traducteurs

http://www.fit-ift.org/

FIT - ITD 2017 Translation and Diversity

http://www.fit-ift.org/translation-and-diversity_itd_2017/

International Translation Day  

http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/71/288

Nominis (Calendar of Saints)

http://nominis.cef.fr/
The British Library - Vulgate Gospels
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/vulgategosp.html
Wikipedia - Pope Damsus I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Damasus_I

Happy International Translation Day!

Copyright Françoise Herrmann

The theme selected this year for celebrations is Connecting Worlds. 

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As a reminder, International Translation Day is celebrated on Sept. 30th, on the Day of the Feast of St. Jerome, patron Saint of Translators. 

St. Jerome delivered the first complete Latin version of the bible, translated from Greek, which says much about the time-bound process of translation, considering the many subsequent versions of the world's best-seller. For an interesting discussion of this aspect of translation, see Paul Ricoeur On translation / Sur la traduction.

References

Ricoeur, P. (2004)  On Translation. Translated by Eileen Brennan. NY, NY: Rootledge

Ricoeur, P. (2004) Sur la traduction. Paris, France: Editions Bayard.

International Translation Day

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The theme that the International Federation of Translators has selected for this year’s International Translation Day is The changing face of translation and interpreting – Le nouveau visage de la traduction et de l’interprétation.  

Thus, this day, on Sept. 30, 2015, celebrates all the advances in technology from quill to video conferencing and satellite communications, while honoring what remains constant: the translators themselves, whose purpose and calling appear consistent through the ages in the desire to bridge the gaps created by mutually unintelligible tongues.

Happy International Translation day 2015!

References

FIT-IFT Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs

http://www.fit-ift.org/?page_id=3604

http://www.fit-ift.org/?page_id=3604&lang=fr

International Translation Day 2014

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Oopse… that was yesterday, on September 30, 2014, the Feast of Saint Jerome, according to the Saints’ Days of the Gregorian calendar. 

Saint Jerome was the first to translate the Old Testament of the Bible from Ancient Hebrew to Latin, in the year 405 AC, at a time where translations of the bible existed only from Greek (translated from Hebrew) to Latin. Thus, it is in his capacity as first translator of the bible that Saint Jerome is considered the Patron Saint of Translators, in a Christian calendar tradition that assigns patron saints to just about every profession. For example, Saint Nicholas (December 25) is Patron Saint of bakers, Saint Francis (October 4) is Patron Saint of ecologists, Saint Matthew (September 21) is Patron Saint of bankers, accountants and stockbrokers, Saint Lucy (December 13) is Patron Saint of writers and electricians (!), and so forth for every day of the Gregorian calendar, commonly used in the Western world.

International Translation Day was launched by the IFT - International Federation of Translators, a European-based organization founded in 1953 that regroups more than 100 professional associations of translators, interpreters and terminologists worldwide, including the American Translators Association. The IFT thus represents more than 80,000 translators in 55 countries. 

Each year the IFT selects a theme for International Translation Day. The 2014 theme was “Language rights: essential to all human rights”. Indeed this is the idea that Human Rights to dignity, freedom, justice, health and peace for all human beings, as set forth in the provisions of the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, are contingent upon effective communication. In other words, it is impossible to uphold and defend human rights without the ability to communicate in a language that is mutually understandable. Take the case, for example, of immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, tourists or foreign workers, who lose their linguistic rights in courts, hospitals or government offices when they are unable to defend themselves, or express themselves or explain their situation in the language into which they are thrown. 

The IFT thus calls for a greater awareness of the need for professional linguistic services, to avoid the tragedies of injustice, imprisonment and irreversible damages to health arising in those situations where people cannot express or defend themselves in a language that is mutually understandable.

Mark your calendars for International Translation Day on September 30, 2015 with another theme. And in the interim, spread the word! 

Reference
International Federation of Translators
www.fit-ift.org