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...