Beirut, 30 September 2019 (ESCWA)--The role of translation in dialogue and peacebuilding has been firmly cemented through the ages, across time and space. The General Assembly of the United Nations has reaffirmed this notion by inextricably linking the role of translators and other language professionals to the Organization’s multidisciplinary global mandate.
Today, ESCWA marked International Translation Day with an event on the theme “The power of languages”, which brought together seasoned translators and trainees alongside authors from all ESCWA divisions specializing in the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations tirelessly underscores the intellectual and cultural aspects of the translation profession. An ancient profession emanating from the inexorable need for communication between individuals and societies. An eternally fluid discipline that endeavours to meaningfully articulate and disseminate knowledge, across geographical borders and cultural boundaries, to ensure common ownership by all. ESCWA stressed these features of the metier on International Translation Day – a day characterized by interaction and participation.
The United Nations also launches the Saint Jerome Translation Contest to mark International Translation Day. The Contest is open to professional translators and other staff members, interns, students and permanent missions, to experience the power of languages and test their ability to express other people’s ideas and tell their stories in another language.
This year, ESCWA is organizing the fifteenth Saint Jerome Translation Contest, which was launched on 30 September 2019. The Contest is conducted in the six official languages plus German. Participants can try their hand at translating texts that are a far cry from standard United Nations documents, in an exercise where technology cannot outshine creativity.
For more information, visit https://languagecareers.un.org/dgacm/Langs.nsf/page.xsp?key=Outreach-StJerome-SJTC15.
For more information:
-Ms Rania Harb, Public Information Assistant, +961-70-008-879; email: harb1@un.org