Solution Architect, Lee Densmer, highlights the qualifications and background that make a Professional Translator, and why they may be crucial to your translation goals:

“Being bilingual is simply not enough for being a translator. Being bi-cultural is probably not enough either.

For someone to translate your product well they need to have native fluency in the language they are translating into. Otherwise, while they may understand how to mechanically convert the text from one language to another, the results will often be awkward, cumbersome, convoluted, and unclear.  The result may be similar to the way a young child speaks: they are communicating in-language and the people who know them well can understand them clearly, but others just can’t fathom what they are trying to say.

The translator also needs fluency in the source language. However, more critical than source fluency, is a cultural understanding of the way BOTH the source and the target languages are used in social contexts. (This is called sociolinguistics.)  It is one thing to be ‘fluent’ in the language, but to understand the underlying message and intent of the words is something deeper altogether.

So then, what makes a linguist? For starters, linguists:

• Are bilingual (or multi-lingual); not just capable in another language but FLUENT
• Have advanced knowledge of the technical aspects of language, like writing and grammar. Possess an understanding of sociolinguistics, which is the understanding of speakers’ backgrounds (socioeconomic group, degree of education, age, etc.) based on how they speak.
• Maintain specialization in a certain area such as legal translations, medical, IT/Telco, automotive, etc.
• Have experience doing professional translations

What you need to know:

• The bilingual guy in the next cube should probably not be translating your marketing material
• The education and experience required to be a good translator is fairly extensive
• Such a high level of expertise does not typically come cheaply; professional translation is an investment”

See:  Lionbridge Translation Blog