Local Schools can excel in European translation contest says Watson

10.11.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 20th May 2008

Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar, who is a qualified interpreter who speaks in four European languages, and is currently learning Mandarin is encouraging local schools from across the region to enter the European Commission's "Juvenes Translatores" (young translators) contest.

Graham commented;

"Last year's event was a great success. I am encouraging schools and colleges from the Westcountry and Gibraltar to enter this event.

I know from my visits to schools and colleges from across the region that we have some brilliant young linguists who could excel in this competition."

Editors note:-

All EU schools are invited to register between 1 September and 20 October 2008 for the European Commission "Juvenes Translatores" contest to be held on 27 November 2008.

Translators work with written text - as opposed to interpreters, whose tool is the spoken word. Professional translators translate from a foreign language into their native language, so the text they produce sounds as natural and fluent as possible

In March 2009, the winners will be invited to a ceremony in Brussels to receive their prizes form the Commissioner for Multilingualism, Leonard Orban.

Schools can register via the contest website http://ec.europa.eu/translatores