On 30 September, translators celebrate Saint Jerome’s Day. Saint Jerome was born around AD 347. After studying literature and philosophy in Rome, he learned Hebrew while living as a hermit. After serving as secretary to Pope Damasus I, he retired to a monastery, where he started translating and compiling biblical books. The manuscript of the Bible that was collected, assembled, and translated by Jerome later became known as the Vulgate, and—at least for the Catholic Church—it remains the authoritative Latin version of the Bible to this day. This is why Jerome is the patron saint of translators. In 1991, the International Federation of Translators (FIT) declared 30 September International Translation Day. For several years now, numerous events have been held around this day, with the special purpose of bringing literary translation and translators into the public eye.
On Saint Jerome’s Day this year, we are holding a small contest on our website. Participate in the contest and win a 2014 wall calendar. You can answer the question in German, Czech, Croatian, Polish, Slovenian, or Ukrainian.
