The First Translation Studies Quiz: Celebrating Translators’ Day a Little Differently
To mark International Translation Day, celebrated annually on 30 September in honour of St Jerome, the patron saint of translators, the Department of Translation Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, held its first Translation Studies Quiz. The event was organised by Associate Professor Monika Šavelová and Dr Eva Spišiaková with the aim of bringing together students from different years, creating an opportunity for them to get to know one another and, above all, celebrating translators’ day together in a somewhat unconventional way.
Eight teams took part in the inaugural event, and we were pleased to see every year of study represented – including some intrepid first-year students who entered the contest just a few days after starting university. The contestants’ creativity was evident even before the first question, in their choice of team names. Some raised a smile, others referenced traditions in translation studies or academic practice, while several revealed that the names Anton Popovič and František Miko – not to mention the ISO 690 standard – had certainly left their mark during their studies.
Competing for first place were the teams (Ne)gramatičky [(Un)grammatical Girls] (Lenka Romanová, Rebeka Volgyiová, Natália Čierniková), Cyrilo-metodská tradícia [The Cyrillo-Methodian Tradition] (Bc. Karolína Jurčová, Bc. Freya Angermayerová, Bc. Ivana Medvecká, Bc. Magdaléna Dušková), Popovičove ratolesti [Popovič’s Offspring] (Bc. Laura Thiel, Simona Lukačovičová, Bc. Ema Mrázová), Translation Impact (Bc. Magdaléna Kocianová, Rebeka Huľová), Mikove sústavy [Miko’s Systems] (Bc. Tamara Klimková, Bc. Simona Kopčárová, Bc. Martina Vašinová, Bc. Emma Štulajterová), ISO 690/2 (Bc. Juliana Krivosudská, Ekaterina Terekhova, Michaela Uharčeková), Perličky [Little Pearls/Guinea Fowls] (Bc. Nina Barániková, Bc. Kristína Kluvancová, Bc. Vivien Buzášová), and Beštie [The Beasts] (Bc. Dominika Šišková, Bc. Marcela Tóthová, Bc. Michaela Durcová).
The quiz consisted of six rounds and tested not only knowledge of translation studies but also general (and linguistic) knowledge, teamwork and quick thinking – and, occasionally, even a little luck in finding the right answers. The greatest challenge for the competing teams proved to be identifying their lecturers from childhood photographs. Although it was a competition, more important than the scores themselves was the opportunity to meet outside regular classes, work together across different years of study, and discover that translation studies need not remain confined to lectures, seminars, exams and theses.
After the final scores were tallied, first place went to Beštie, comprising Dominika Šišková, Marcela Tóthová and Michaela Durcová. Mikove sústavy – Tamara Klimková, Simona Kopčárová, Martina Vašinová and Emma Štulajterová – took second place, while Perličky, comprising Nina Barániková, Kristína Kluvancová and Vivien Buzášová, finished third.
No contestant went home empty-handed, however. In addition to the special prize awarded for first place, every participant received a small translation studies themed gift featuring the event logo and a special word puzzle based on Anton Popovič’s terminology. This small touch was another way of combining the event’s academic focus with its playful and informal atmosphere.
We congratulate the winners and thank all the contestants for taking part, for their good humour and creativity, and for their willingness to join us for the first edition of the event. Our thanks also go to our colleagues and the other students who came along to support the contestants and whose presence contributed to the pleasant atmosphere. As organisers, we were particularly pleased by the spontaneous feedback we received from students who stopped to speak to us after the quiz, telling us how much they had enjoyed the event and expressing their appreciation that every participant had received a small memento.
Such positive responses encourage us to continue with future editions. We therefore hope that the Translation Studies Quiz will gradually become a welcome tradition at the Department of Translation Studies and that we will meet again for the next celebration of St Jerome’s feast day – perhaps with an even larger turnout.
Text: doc. Monika Šavelová
Translation: Dr. Eva Spišiaková
Photos: Dr. Peter Horváth
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