United Nations 14th St. Jerome Translation Contest 2019

Deadline: January 31, 2019

The 14th St. Jerome Translation Contest is now open for entries. Launched in 2005 by the English Translation Service at United Nations Headquarters, the St. Jerome Translation Contest is held each year to commemorate International Translation Day on 30 September, which was officially recognized by the General Assembly in resolution 71/288.

The contest also celebrates multilingualism within the United Nations, and highlights the important role of translators and other language professionals in multilateral diplomacy in general, and multilateral diplomacy at the United Nations in particular.

Eligibility

The contest is open to the following participants:

• Current and former United Nations staff members in all entities of the United Nations system, irrespective of occupational group, contractual status or duty station
• Current and former interns in all entities of the United Nations system, irrespective of occupational group or duty station
• Staff from all accredited permanent missions to the United Nations
• Students enrolled at universities that have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations or at partner universities

Evaluation

The entries will be evaluated by a panel of two to three judges for each language. Judges will pay particular attention to accuracy in conveying not only the meaning but also the nuances of the source text, and to style. As in previous years, each submission will be identified by a number and not by the name of the contestant in order to ensure anonymity in the selection process. The winners’ names will not be disclosed until the official announcement at the awards ceremony, to be held at the United Nations Office at Vienna in May 2019. The exact date and venue will be announced in due time.

Application

The test piece for contestants translating into English is a Spanish text entitled “El Guernica en la trituradora de Banksy”. The test piece for contestants translating into Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish or German is an English text entitled “Out of my comfort zone, wandering around Harrods in the wrong trousers”.

Participants should submit their entry as a file attached to an email together with the completed registration form. Participants who are on short-term contracts are asked to use a personal email address so that they can be contacted later. Students at MoU or partner universities may only submit entries through their University Focal Point; texts submitted directly by students cannot be considered.

Entries should be submitted to the following email address not later than 31 January 2019: SJTC14@un.org

For more information, visit St. Jerome Translation Contest.