From Karnobat to Brussels: Bulgarian Student Won The Young Translators Contest!

The Bulgarian winner of the EU Juvenes Translatores Contest 2024 is Pamela Kalpakchieva from Hristo Botev High School in Karnobat.

Pamela's translation won over the judges with its perfect style, and her teachers, parents, and friends say she fully deserves the award. They describe her as not only capable but also determined and persistent in everything she undertakes. They characterize her as an "inspired rebel" because she has her own opinion and knows how to defend it, often on the airwaves of the school podcast, which she actively contributes to creating.

“When I heard my name being announced from the studio in Brussels, I was, to put it mildly, shocked. It was the last thing I expected. I thought they had just called me from school to watch the announcement of the winners. I didn't know how to react; I was completely stunned, and even now, I still am. It's hard for me to believe that I won. Who am I to win something so big?”, Pamela said about herself minutes after she learned the news.

Pamela learned about the contest from her English teacher, Mrs. Nora Martinova, who suggested several students from the class participate, including Pamela. The girl agreed because she enjoys participating in activities related to writing, translating, and language learning.

The preparation involved translating a text from a previous edition of the contest – each student translated it, and then they discussed the mistakes together with the teachers and how the translation could be improved. For Pamela, the task wasn't difficult at all because she often reads in English originals, which helps her better grasp the emotions and nuances of the language.

“Knowledge of a foreign language opens up a vast horizon to the world and people for me, expanding my worldview in a colossal way, allowing me to delve into foreign cultures and values, enriching my personality”, Pamela further shares. Besides English, she is currently learning Japanese, and in the future, she would like to start learning French.

The girl's interests are focused on creative writing, especially in the fields of philosophy, psychology, and studying human behavior – as she is fascinated by people and the world. At the moment, she has chosen to focus on psychology and the science of human beings - their feelings, emotions, qualities, and traumas.

“To my peers in Bulgaria, I would say to fight for what they aspire to and not to give up regardless of the obstacles in their path. Whether or not they have people supporting them, if they stick to their beliefs and direction, they will succeed. Because when a person supports themselves when they stand by themselves, anything is possible”.

*Juvenes Translatores is the pan-European translation competition for secondary school students, organized by the Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission.

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