By Lerato Ndlovu
Today the world celebrates the International Translation Day an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of language professionals, which play an important role in bringing nations together, facilitating dialogue, understanding and cooperation, contributing to development and strengthening world peace and security.
The theme of International Translation Day 2020 is “Finding the words for a world in crisis”. Translators, terminologists, and interpreters provide crucial services both on the front line and behind the news in crisis situations. Internation translation day aims at contributing and providing the general public with information about their work.
Translation of languages plays a vital role in development, in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, attaining quality education for all and strengthening cooperation, in building inclusive knowledge societies and preserving cultural heritage, and in mobilizing political will for applying the benefits of science and technology to sustainable development.
Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and the planet.
The coming of the pandemic has fully shown the importance of languages in all dialects and signs as new phrases and terms were used in all the global languages so as to educate people.
Every year since 2005, the United Nations recognizes the last day of September as the day to celebrate the work of translators and interpreters. The resolution states that the special day is the chance to commend language professionals’ work in strengthening security and peace in the world, contributing to world development, enabling cooperation, understanding, and dialogue, and bringing nations together.
As such the UN selects partner universities to compete in language competitions as a way of celebrating multilingualism and highlight the important role of translators and other language professionals in multilateral diplomacy.
