A translator must have an excellent, up-to-date knowledge of his source language, fullfacility in the handling of his target language,which will be his mother tongue or language ofhabitual usage and a knowledge andunderstanding of the latest subject-matter inhis field of specialization. This is, as it was,his professional equipment. In addition to this,it is desirable that he would have an enquiringmind, wide interests, a good memoryand theability to grasp quickly the basic principles ofnew developments.
He should be willing to work with hisown, often at high speeds, but should behumble enough to consult another peoplebecause his own knowledge does not alwaysprove adequate to the task in hand. He shouldbe able to type fairly quickly and accuratelyand, unless he is working mainly forpublication, should have more than a noddingacquaintance on printing techniques and proof-reading. If he is working basically like aninformation translator, let us say, for anindustrial firm, he should have the flexible ofmind to enable him to switch rapidly from onesource language to another, as well as fromone subject-matter to another.
