New York, 30 September 2022 (TDI): On this year’s International Translation Day, United Nations (UN) shared how language professionals play an important role.
As we celebrate Friday’s International #TranslationDay, learn how language professionals are essential to the work of the UN: https://t.co/TVnphf1j0C pic.twitter.com/PbYaahz3SZ
— United Nations (@UN) September 30, 2022
The Role of Translators
The translations that UN translators generate not only aid in the organization’s work but also serve as important informational and archival materials.
Before they are translated into other languages, language experts in translation services edit papers written in their native tongue to make sure they are accurate, coherent, and clear.
Moreover, the official summaries of the proceedings of several meeting bodies are also produced by members of the English Translation and Editorial Service, Précis-writing.
The standardization of words in the six official languages is another important duty of translators. The creation of official UN terminology & the multilingual database UNTERM, both of which are accessible to the public online, are made possible by all translation services.
Translation Techniques
The UN engages in a high-tech, intensive translation process. Working entirely online, UN translators make use of cutting-edge technology resources like eLUNa, the organization’s in-house computer-assisted translation tool.
Additionally, they consult additional translators, précis authors, and subject matter experts as needed, as well as online dictionaries, glossaries, and other internal databases.
The act of translating itself is still very intellectual. To effectively portray all the intricacies of the target language, translators for the United Nations must understand the documents’ most subtle layers of meaning.
Furthermore, superior language and analytical abilities are also required to translate diplomatic communications’ occasionally purposefully vague or obscure wording.
Teams of translators for the United Nations collaborate on projects, share knowledge, frequently consult one another, and attempt to resolve any terminology or translation problems that may emerge.
Adding to that, in collaboration with internal experts from substantive departments, language experts, and outside sources, such as technical experts and specialized websites, translators and editors systematically collect new or out-of-date words and investigate and verify them against reliable sources.
Translation Day: An Overview
United Nations (UN), on May 24, 2017, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare September 30 as International Translation Day.
The day is celebrated on 30th September every year. The purpose of International Translation Day is to honor the contribution that linguists make to bringing people from different countries together.
Apart from this it also fosters communication, understanding, and collaboration, promoting development, and enhancing international security.