International Mother Language Day

21 February was proclaimed the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO on 17 November 1999. Its observance was also formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.[1]

International Mother Language Day originated as the international recognition of Language Movement Day, which has been commemorated in Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) since 1952, when a number of Bangladeshi university students were killed by the East Pakistan police and army in Dhaka.

International Mother Language Day is observed yearly by UNESCO member states and at its headquarters to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

History
On 21 February 1952, corresponding to 8 Falgun 1359 in the Bangla calendar, a number of students campaigning for the recognition of Bangla as one of the state languages of Pakistan were killed when police fired upon them. [2]

At a public meeting on 21 March 1948, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Governor general of Pakistan, declared that Urdu will be the only language for both West and East Pakistan. The people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), whose main language is Bengali, started to protest against this.

A student meeting on 21 February called for a province-wide strike. But the government invoked Section 144 on 20 February. The student community at a meeting on the morning of 21 February agreed to continue with their protest but not to break the law of Section 144. Even then the police opened fire and killed the students.


[edit] Annual themes
The observances of International Year of Languages tend to have a theme, indicated either in the formal program set for observance at UNESCO headquarters, or more explicitly in the publicity.[3]

2000, Inaugural celebration of International Mother Language Day
2001, Second annual celebration
2003, Linguistic Diversity: 3,000 Languages in Danger (slogan: In the galaxy of languages, every word is a star)
2004, Children's learning (the observance at UNESCO included "a unique exhibition of children’s exercise books from around the world illustrating the process by which children learn and master the use of written literacy skills in the classroom"[4])
2005, Braille and Sign languages
2006, Languages and Cyberspace
2007, Multilingual education
2008, International year of Languages

Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day

INTERPRETING PRACTICE

THUNKEL
An Interpreting Practice


Reporter : Baiklah para pemirsa di studio maupun pemirsa budiman di rumah, pada kesempatan kali ini masih diacara yang sama dalam acara Mariah Oprah. Kami tampilkan sosok Ilmuwan peneliti purbakala yang sudah tidak asing lagi di telinga kita dia adalah Dr. JD, yang pada kesempatan ini bersama temannya yang dia temukan di hutan belantara Afrika Selatan, apa kabar Dr. JD?
Interpreter : How are you Dr. JD?
Dr. JD : I am fine, thank you
Reporter : Ngomong-ngomong siapa nama teman baru anda yah?
Interpreter : What is your friend’s name, anyway?
Dr. JD : His name is Thunkel.
Interpreter : Namanya Thunkel.
Reporter : Oh, yah. Berapa umur dia sekarang?
Interpreter : How old is he now?
Dr. JD : hullu halla O’ UU? (He speaks to Thunkel)
Thunkel : UU’ A? gelle belle walla
Dr. JD : He is twenty two years old
Interpreter : Dia berumur 22th
Reporter : Apa yang dia lakukan di hutan belantara
dan apakah dia hidup sendiri?
Interpreter : What was he doing in the jungle…and is he alone?
Dr. JD : Baa gilli buu haha whaah, glaba wick wick
wuuk wuuk. (He speaks to thunkel)
Thunkel : Haa wuu, gilli buu whaah. Haa wuu wick wick
cruck
Dr. JD : He is not alone as you think; he is a permanent residence at small ethnic group and every day he works as farmer and hunter.
Interpreter : Dia tidak sendiri hidup di belantara tapi bersama keluarganya, dia sudah menetap dalam sebuah suku kecil dan setiap harinya dia bercocok tanam dan berburu.
Reporter : Untuk Mr. Thunkel, Bagaimana pendapat anda mengenai dunia luar?
Interpreter : Mr. Thunkel, What do you think about your new world?
Dr. JD : Willi willi wuu waga bagga ha ha mbem?
Thunkel : Wagga bagga ha ha gilli buu? Whah whah, mmm
bauhh serrr bherr. Mbeeem, reeerr cut
Dr. JD : He says that “he loves this country” here everything is very different from his small group
Interpreter : Dia mengatakan bahwa kota ini menyenangkan dia suka tinggal disini dari pada disukunya
Reporter : Apakah dia sudah menikah?
Interpreter : Is he married?
Dr. JD : Gilli buu pus pus whie’?
Thunkel : Whie’ pus pus, halla whehleh-whehleh mbbem
Dr. JD : He says that he is not marriage yet. But he loves you.
Interpreter : Dia belum menikah, tapi dia katakan
kalau dia suka Anda
(Sesi tanya jawab)Impromptu
Reporter : Mungkin diantara Anda para pemirsa baik di studio maupun yang sekarang berada di rumah akan bertanya kepada Dr. JD atau Mr. Thunkel, silahkan hubungi kami di nomor 567280 untuk wilayah Jabotabek dan (021)567280 di luar Jabotabek. Baik sambil menunggu penelpon, kita kembali bertanya kepada keduanya. Apa yang membuat Anda suka tinggal dikota ini?
Interpreter : What make you like to stay in this town?
Dr. JD : Wahah huu gilli buu bee hoo he whee he?
Thunkel : Whie’- Whie’ whehleh-whehleh, cukk-cukk breem.
Dr. JD : he said that he likes the girl here they are so beautiful. Than at his ethnic group in hinterland of South Africa.


Note: everything’s written here are fictions, and for learning purpose only.
From my translation class