International Translation Day is a global observance celebrated annually on September 30th.
It is a day dedicated to recognizing the vital role of translators, interpreters, and language professionals in fostering unity among nations, cultures, and people. The date was chosen because it is the feast of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators, who is best known for translating most of the Bible into Latin.
Its purpose is to:
- Recognize the work of professional translators, interpreters, and terminologists in connecting nations and fostering peace, understanding, and development.
- Highlight the important role of translation in facilitating dialogue and cooperation, particularly in an increasingly globalized world.
The date, September 30th, was chosen because it is the feast day of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators.
The celebration was originally promoted by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) starting in 1953, and the day was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2017.
Meaning and Significance:
- Celebrates Language Professionals – It honors translators, interpreters, and terminologists who make cross-cultural communication possible.
- Promotes Multilingualism – Highlights the importance of linguistic diversity and preserving languages.
- Encourages Understanding – Translation builds bridges between cultures, fosters dialogue, and promotes peace.
- Recognized by the UN – In 2017, the United Nations officially declared 30 September as International Translation Day to emphasize the vital role of translation in achieving international cooperation and development.
👉 In short: International Translation Day is about valuing the invisible work of translation, which helps ideas, knowledge, and cultures travel across the world.
Why are human translators important today?
Here are the key reasons why human translators are still vital:
- Cultural Nuance and Context: Language is deeply intertwined with culture. Human translators possess the cultural knowledge to interpret and adapt content so it is not only linguistically correct but also culturally appropriate, avoiding offense or misunderstanding. Machines often miss:
- Idioms, slang, and metaphors (e.g., translating “break a leg” literally).
- Cultural references and humor.
- The deeper intent or context behind the words.
- Higher Accuracy and Quality for High-Stakes Content: For critical documents, small errors can have severe consequences. Human translators are essential in fields like:
- Legal: Contracts, court documents, patents (where a single misworded clause can be disastrous).
- Medical: Patient histories, dosage instructions, consent forms (where accuracy is a matter of life and death).
- Technical/Specialized: Manuals, engineering documents (requiring deep subject matter expertise to handle precise terminology).
- Capturing Tone, Style, and Emotion: Human translators can ensure the final text maintains the intended tone (e.g., formal, casual, persuasive, serious) and the unique voice of a brand or author. This is vital for:
- Marketing and Transcreation: Adapting creative concepts, slogans, and campaigns to resonate emotionally with a foreign market.
- Literary Works: Preserving the artistic style and emotional depth of the original author.
- Quality Control and Accountability: Professional human translation involves rigorous editing and quality assurance processes. Humans are also accountable for the quality and ethical considerations of their work, which is not the case with AI.
While machine translation is an excellent tool for speed, large volume, and low-stakes communication, human expertise is indispensable for content where precision, cultural relevance, and high quality are paramount. In many professional settings, the most effective approach is a hybrid model—using machine translation for a first draft, which is then refined and quality-checked by a skilled human translator (a process called Machine Translation Post-Editing).
Translation Services FAQ | Pricing, Certified & More
How to start a business in the Nordic and Baltic countries
How to Find the Best Language Translation Services for Your Business Needs?
