Gov’t Translators Play Key Roles in Gov’t Campaigns to Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic

Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Cabinet Work Support Thanon Aria Dewangga opens a virtual Translation Training, Jakarta, Monday (8/3). (Photo by: Oji/PR).

Indonesian government translators play an important role in supporting the Government in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Deputy to Cabinet Secretary for Cabinet Work Support Thanon Aria Dewangga.

According to him, the translators can do so by translating terms in health and economic fields from English to Indonesian or regional languages.

“The equivalents can then be disseminated to the public so those terms can be understood and the public can implement the Government’s campaigns,” he said during the opening ceremony of Technical Training of Grammar for Translation for Batch I of 2020, Monday (8/3).

That way, according to him, government translators can stay productive and contribute to the nation and the state amid the pandemic.

Regarding the implementation of the training slated to take place from 3 August to 7 August, Thanon said it aims to improve the translators’ skills in producing accurate and good translations so they will become more reliable and capable translators.

Government translators, he added, also play an even important role in the globalization age hallmarked by increased interdependence between countries worldwide. Hence, foreign language proficiency, not just English, is necessary to establish cooperation with various countries, he added.

“Countries worldwide are experiencing global health issues and overshadowed by economic crisis,” he said.

Government translators who master more than one language, Thanon continued, will have a high level of confidence to act as a facilitator that allows two countries to communicate well so that those countries can work together in various fields of mutual benefit between them.

“Cabinet Secretariat as the Fostering Institution of Functional Position of Translators and Interpreters (JFP) is committed to improving the skills of government translators, not only in English but also in other languages ​​in the future,” he said.

Thanon also expressed hope that government translators can bridge communication between the Government of Indonesia and friendly countries, as well as business partners in a bid to promote the potentials of tourism and natural resources that can be managed for the benefits of the Indonesian people.

“Government translators should not be complacent with the trainings held by Cabinet Secretariat. They must continue to develop their skills through various trainings apart from those provided by Cabinet Secretariat, for example, joining webinars and practicing translation works,” he said.

“As the saying goes “practice makes perfect”, the more the translators do translation works, the better their skills will be,” he said. (FID/EN)

Translator: Muhardi
Reviewed by: M. Ersan Pamungkas