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International Translation Day (30 September) coincides with the feast of St. Jerome, the renowned translator of much of the Bible and long regarded as the patron saint of translators. The symbolism is apt: translation is not merely word-swapping; it is cultural transfer. Through it, literature, history, religion, science, and lived experience cross linguistic borders and become shared knowledge. Skilled translators—attentive to nuance, tone, and context—close semantic gaps and reduce misreadings that, at scale, can harden into mistrust and even conflict.
Translators are catalysts of empathy. When novels, war and migration memoirs, poetry, and legal texts are rendered into people’s languages, the “other” gains a human face—sorrows, hopes, and daily concerns become relatable. This familiarity erodes prejudice and expands our capacity to coexist. In diplomacy and peacebuilding, interpreters safeguard neutrality and clarity so dialogue can progress. In humanitarian crises, clear and timely translation about safe water, vaccination, or evacuation literally saves lives. In academia and media, accurate translation of research and reports curbs misinformation and strengthens informed participation.
Translation is also essential to realizing human rights. Global norms—from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to refugee and child-protection conventions—only take root when they are accessible in the language of the people, with terms that resonate locally. Professional translators bring more than language skill: they uphold accuracy, impartiality, confidentiality, and intercultural literacy. As cultural mediators, they keep the author’s meaning intact while situating it in the target culture so it can be understood and used responsibly.
AI and machine tools have boosted speed and access, yet fine-grained meaning, humor, irony, and the ethical weight of words still demand human judgment. The best results emerge when technology serves human expertise rather than replacing it.
How can we support this ecosystem? Publishers, NGOs, and media can plan bilingual outputs, budget fairly, credit translators prominently, and allow time for revision. Readers can notice and name translators, and offer constructive feedback. Schools and universities can teach intercultural literacy and translation skills, cultivating a new generation of bridge-builders. One well-translated page can prevent countless hours of misunderstanding.
On International Translation Day, we thank translators—literary and legal, conference and community, professional and volunteer—whose careful, often unseen labor opens two-way roads of dialogue, nurtures mutual understanding, and helps keep the peace.