What International Translation Day means to these 5 translators

Every September 30th, the world observes International Translation Day, honoring the work of translators and interpreters who make communication across languages possible. This year's theme is "Linguistic Diversity and Language Rights," which really comes down to one idea: the power of being understood.

In honor of this day, we asked five questions to a group of translators from Smartling's network of 4,000+ linguists, who work across more than 150 languages and 50 industries. Mariana Serio, Enid Sun, Carolina Vidotto Pyramo, Karim Rebiai, and Piotr Zięba are sharing their answers, reflecting a range of paths into the field and languages spoken, with the same idea surfacing throughout: translation is, at its core, about being understood.

Here's what they had to share, in their own words.

Question 1: What language(s) do you translate, and how did you get into translation work?

Mariana Serio: "I translate from English into Spanish, mostly marketing and tech content. I was seven years old the first time I learned that 'cat' was 'gato,' and I decided right then I wanted to be a translator. I got my first real translation projects during university back in 2011, and three days after I graduated, I had my first in-house job. The rest is history."

Enid Sun: "I translate from English into Simplified Chinese. My path into translation was quite an organic one, I discovered my passion for languages back in middle school, which led me to major in English in college. As a sophomore, I joined a translation community led by my department head, starting with small projects like translating CVs and academic papers for my peers. My career officially took off when I joined an automotive company as an in-house interpreter and translator, and over time my curiosity pushed me into creative copywriting and localization for luxury markets, and later software, HR, and healthcare. Looking back, this diverse path has given me a broader view, helping me look beyond just the surface text to understand how a brand operates."

Carolina Vidotto Pyramo: "I translate from English into Brazilian Portuguese. I knew I wanted to be a translator since I was 12. I earned a degree in Translation and began working during my final year of college. I've been in the field since 2006."

Karim Rebiai: "I translate from English, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish into my native French. My love affair with languages started early. Growing up, I promised myself I would master at least five of them, regardless of what I ended up doing for a living. Languages have always been my first love, so it only made sense to finally make them my life's work."

Piotr Zięba: "I mainly translate from English into Polish. My background is strongly technical, and I actually started my career in the localization industry as a localization engineer. At the time, translation was something I did on the side, alongside my technical work. Over time, I gradually took on more translation projects until I eventually made the switch to working as a translator full-time. Almost 20 years later, I still find that technical background extremely useful, especially when working with software, websites, and other digital products."

Question 2: What does "being understood" mean to you in your work?

Mariana Serio: "When people don't even know they're reading a translation, I feel understood. I like to make people feel that what they're reading was written for them, not simply swapped into a different language."

Enid Sun: "'Being understood' isn't just about passing the literal meaning along; it's about helping the local audience capture the brand's true tone, heritage, and product logic naturally. When local users read a story and feel like an insider rather than just a consumer, we help break down barriers far deeper than language alone."

Karim Rebiai: "To me, being 'understood' means having the exact same impact on my native audience that the author intended for their original readers. The individual words don't matter… the message does."

Question 3: Why does linguistic diversity matter, in your view?

Mariana Serio: "A business can have the best product in the world, but if it only speaks one language, it's quietly telling a huge part of the market 'you weren't who I had in mind.' I prefer inclusion."

Enid Sun: "Linguistic diversity matters because every language is a living reflection of a region's history, philosophy, and identity. Languages are not just functional tools for daily information exchange; they are cultural footprints that deserve respect. As the ancient Chinese wisdom beautifully captures: '和而不同，美美与共'—'Seeking harmony through diversity, where distinct cultural expressions are appreciated in mutual resonance.'"

Carolina Vidotto Pyramo: "Every language reflects a unique way of seeing and experiencing the world. Languages carry culture, history, identity, and nuances that cannot always be expressed in the same way in another language. That diversity is what makes communication richer."

Karim Rebiai: "Diversity is everywhere – in everything and in everyone. To me, words are the temporary cages we put our thoughts into. As a translator, my role is to break the original intent and emotion out of those confines, and recreate them for a completely different mind."

Piotr Zięba: "Language is more than a way of transferring information. It carries culture, identity, and different ways of expressing and understanding ideas. Technology makes global communication easier than ever, but that shouldn't mean expecting everyone to communicate and consume information in just a handful of dominant languages."

Question 4: Tell us about a moment when translation made a real difference for someone.

Mariana Serio: "Honestly, my whole career is one long version of this. I grew up in a small town outside Buenos Aires, where money was tight, and translation became my way out. In the case of clients, there are people fighting for their lives who wouldn't be able to defend themselves if it weren't for translators and interpreters. Our job matters."

Enid Sun: "I remember localizing a complex software interface with intricate technical workflows. A few months after launch, I noticed that user inquiry tickets regarding basic software navigation had dropped significantly. We may remain invisible, but a seamless experience is the best proof that we've built a solid bridge for someone."

Karim Rebiai: "During the COVID-19 pandemic, a research team at my US alma mater devised a way to sterilize N95 masks using readily available campus equipment. They wanted to share their findings globally for free. To support them, a friend and I translated their materials into French, and I brought in a colleague to handle the German version. We were just one tiny cog in a massive chain of human kindness, but I like to think our contribution made a real difference for at least one person out there."

Piotr Zięba: "There isn't one particular moment that stands out. What I find rewarding is knowing that much of the content I translate becomes something people actually use: an interface, a website, instructions, or information that helps someone understand a product or complete a task. Translation often makes a difference in very ordinary situations, and perhaps that's precisely why its value can be easy to overlook."

Question 5: Is there a word or phrase in your language that doesn't translate easily into other languages?

Mariana Serio: "'Merienda.' It's more than a simple snack to us in Argentina. It's an entire meal we have in the afternoon and it's the best thing ever. Without it, we would be too hungry by the time a 'picada' happens in the evening, which is another meal before dinner. Yes, we eat a lot."

Enid Sun: "缘分 (Yuánfèn). While often translated as 'fate' or 'destiny,' it carries a much warmer, more nuanced meaning. It describes a meaningful, serendipitous connection that brings people together, whether as friends, family, colleagues, or even a beloved pet."

Carolina Vidotto Pyramo: "'Um chorinho' is a lovely example because, in Brazilian Portuguese, the diminutive suffix -inho conveys much more than simply small size. Depending on the context, it can suggest a small amount, a little extra, or even a request made in an affectionate or playful way."

Piotr Zięba: "One of my favourites is the Polish verb załatwić. Depending on the context, it can mean to arrange something, take care of something, get something done, obtain something, or deal with a matter, and those are still only some of its uses. It's a very ordinary Polish word, but surprisingly difficult to replace with a single word in English."

The invisible work behind every connection

Translation is often measured by what it prevents: the email that isn't misread, the instruction that isn't followed incorrectly, the story that lands exactly as it was meant to. The best translation work is invisible by design. When it's done well, nobody notices it happened at all. But invisible doesn't mean unimportant. Behind every product a customer trusts in their own language, every piece of research shared freely across borders, and every brand that manages to sound like itself in a dozen different markets, there's a translator making the connection possible.

That power shows up differently depending on where you sit. For marketing teams, it means a message reads exactly as intended in every market, which builds trust and drives more conversions. For engineering teams, it means content that fits, renders correctly, and never breaks the experience, exactly the kind of technical fluency Piotr and Enid both bring to their work. And for localization teams, it means consistency and quality holding steady across every language a company ships in, so the brand sounds like itself everywhere.

That's the power of being understood, and it's why linguistic diversity and language rights matter well beyond a single day on the calendar. Today, we're grateful to Mariana, Enid, Carolina, Karim, and Piotr for sharing a glimpse of that work in their own words, and to every translator whose work makes global communication possible, one word at a time.