Did you know that translation has its own special day? That’s right, September 30th is International Translation Day! It’s not just an occasion for all of us who are in the translation world to raise a glass (and avoid typos!), but also a day to remember how important translations truly are. Unfortunately, mastering a language isn't enough – translation is a true art. But let’s start from the beginning …

Why September 30th?

If you thought this date was chosen at random, think again. Translation Day was established in honor of Saint Jerome, the patron saint of translators. Saint Jerome is one of the most famous translators in history – he translated the Bible into Latin, which, for its time, was the equivalent of a marathon translation project that took several years!

From Ancient Scrolls to Translation Tools

If you’ve ever felt like complaining about work, imagine translating 5000 years ago. The first known translations were made in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, where translators hand-copied texts onto papyrus. Yes, really – by hand! No "Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V"! And don’t even get us started on "copywriting"...

But today, the story is a bit different. Even though we still can’t escape human involvement, we now have tools that make our work much easier. CAT (and no, we’re not talking about a feline friend but Computer-Assisted Translation) and various specialized translation tools are now part of our everyday lives. But don’t worry, we don’t leave everything to the machines – where would we be without our unique human touch for linguistic nuances?

Can Machine Translation Be Our Friend?

One of the more interesting debates today revolves around machine translation. On one hand, we have Google Translate, DeepL, and others, which we’ve written about in some of our articles, and on the other hand, we have professional translators who sometimes laugh (or cry) at a "creative" translation that the machine came up with. But here at Leemeta, we know that technology can be our friend – if we use it wisely! Machine translators are getting better and can really help us with our work, but we still need our fingers on the keyboard.

Funny Translation Fails

Speaking of funny translations – have you ever come across a translation that made you laugh out loud? For example, the Swedish manufacturer Electrolux launched their product on the English-speaking market decades ago with the slogan: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." If you know English, you’ll understand why that didn’t quite go as planned.

Some Fun Facts for Translation Enthusiasts

• The most translated book in the world? Of course, it’s the Bible – translated into over 3000 languages!
• The first translation? Sumerian translations into Akkadian, around 5000 years old.
• The longest project? If you ask Saint Jerome, he would probably say his translation of the Bible is right up there!

Translators – Bridges Between Cultures

Even though we don’t think much about translations today, with all the language tools available, it’s thanks to translators that knowledge, culture, and ideas have been exchanged between nations. Without translations, we would miss out on most of the world’s literature, philosophical works, and technical manuals (you know, when you buy an IKEA wardrobe!).

Where Would We Be Without Them?

Every time you pick up a book, watch a movie with subtitles, or read a technical manual, think of those who make sure the world keeps turning – translators!  And September 30th is our day. So next time you invite someone for a drink, raise a glass to us – because without us, communication would simply be … Lost in translation!