International Translation Day is celebrated every year on September 30—the feast day of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators. The celebrations have been promoted by FIT (the International Federation of Translators) ever since the organization was established in 1953. In 1991 FIT launched the idea of an officially recognized International Translation Day to show solidarity among the worldwide translation community and promote the translation profession in all countries. The event provides an opportunity to display pride in a profession that is becoming increasingly essential in an era of progressing globalization.
In honor of the day, which is celebrated in T&I departments throughout Turkey, the Bilkent University Department of Translation and Interpreting (TRIN) held a humor translation competition among its students, entitled “Humor is a Universal Language.” Thirty-five students from all levels participated in the competition, translating different forms of humor—from songs and poems to cartoons, jokes and TV sitcom sketches—into Turkish, French and English.
On the 30th, the department held a short commemorative ceremony attended by all students and staff, where they celebrated this special day and their membership in the global translation community. During the ceremony, the humor competition awards, named after cartoonist and author Behiç Ak and cartoonists and illustrators Latif Demirci and Selçuk Demirel, were presented to the top three contestants as determined by a jury composed of students and faculty. Junior Sedef Glover took first place, with seniors Yağmur Su Deniz and Aytül Gündeş coming in second and third, respectively.