Excerpt from an Interesting article for translators on education

From the article of Roger Chriss: The Education of a Translator Translators come from all backgrounds. Some have Masters Degrees in translation from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, some have certificates from Georgetown, others have degrees from schools in Europe (such as the ones in London or Geneva) or Asia (such as Simul Academy in Tokyo or Winzao in Taiwan) and many have a degree in a general field such as literature or history. While a specialized degree in translation is useful (I have one), it is far from necessary. What counts more than anything else is ability. So, where does this ability come from? Perhaps it is nature, but I suspect that nurture helps immensely. Most translators are very well-read in their languages, and can write well. Some are writers who use translation as a way to write for a living. Others are fascinated by language and use translation as a way to be close to their favorite subject. Still others are experts in certain fields and use their language skills to work in that field. Almost all professional translators in the United States have at least a college degree. Some even have advanced degrees either in translation or in the field they specialize in. Most translators have university-level language training in their B and C languages. Some started their languages earlier, others later, but very few translators have no language training at all. Of course, language training might mean specialized courses from a variety of schools. Translators also generally have lived in the countries where their languages are spoken. I lived in Japan for almost three years. I know of translators who have spent seven or even 10 years abroad. Some translators have spent more time in the country of their B language than in the country of their A language. The notable exception to this is Spanish in the United States and English abroad. Because Spanish is used so widely and available in many parts of the U.S., some translators learn and then work in the language without ever leaving the U.S. As well, translators in other countries often work from English into their native language with just the language training they received in school. Above all, translators must have a deep interest and dedication to the languages they work with. The only exception to this rule is people who translate very specialized material. I know an individual with a Ph.D. in math who translated a book on advanced mathematics (topology I think) from French to English. His French skills are dubious, but since few people in the world understand the material, he was suitable. In almost all cases, however, translators have to be committed to honing and polishing their language skills throughout their professional life. The knowledge of the field the translator is working in is often overlooked by translators and those that hire them. Translators are by definition language professionals, but they also have to cultivate knowledge of the areas they work in. Few translators claim to be able to translate anything written in their languages, just as few people can claim to be experts in everything. Most translators have to specialize, working with one or a few related categories of material: legal, financial, medical, computers, engineering, etc. Each field has its own vocabulary, syntax, and style; the translator has to work hard to develop the knowledge necessary to deal with such material. The knowledge also includes two other important factors. First, the translator should have the background knowledge to work in the field. This does not mean that a medical translator should have an M.D. or that a computer translator should be a programmer. But, some background experience or education (or both) is all but essential. My own background and experience are in computers and medicine, so I stick to those areas. I've worked in hospitals, taken many premed courses, and took programming classes in college and worked as a database consultant over the years. Some translators do have degrees in their specialization, but most do not. Second, the translator should have the necessary resources to deal with the material. This means dictionaries, glossaries, and any other resources. Such resources can include the Foreign Language Forum, translator's BBSs, friends or colleagues who work in the industries, and magazines and journals. And, translators have to work tirelessly to improve their knowledge of the fields they work in by reading related material. They also have to invest the time and money in maintaining their reference library. In other words, professional translators are always learning. You don't just put your hand on a rock and say, 'I am a translator.' Nor do you simply acquire a language in a few months by living somewhere and then begin translating. Heinrich Schliemann may have learned to read each of his languages in six weeks, but he couldn't write or speak them (nor did he need to). Moreover, at that time, languages had considerably more limited vocabularies than now. And of course, reading and translating are two separate things.