The characteristics and skills that constitute the profile of a professional translator are distinct from those required and expected for proficiency in foreign language acquisition. These skills can be grouped into four general areas: linguistic, cognitive, translational and subject matter expertise. More specifically, professional translators understand the grammatical, stylistic and cultural nuances for all registers of discourse in the languages they translate from. They have excellent capacities for creativity, analysis, memory, and for processing and acquiring different types of knowledge. They are trained, through education and experience, to analyze source language content and to rewrite it with precision and skill in the target language by applying certain translation strategies. Likewise, they master the terminology, style and content of specific subject matter areas. Historically, many translators working professionally have acquired these high-level skills through many years of experience.

Since the second half of the 20th c., however, translation practice has been undergoing significant professionalization. Formal education and training programs have been established within academic and university institutions. Professional associations and organizations have emerged around the world, ranging from the International Federation of Translators (FIT) to nationally, regionally and locally based groups like the American Translators Association (ATA), the Ordre des traducteurs et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ), and the Colegio de Traductores Públicos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (CTPCBA). Official charters and codes of ethics have been written and approved to affirm the ethical rights and responsibilities of translators. Some organizations and associations have implemented procedures by which professional translators may become legally certified and authorized to produce legally binding translations. In the workplace, professional translators generally have two main options available to them, i.e. to work as salaried, in-house employees in a translation company or agency, or as freelance, independent contractors. Professional translators also develop high-level skills in revising, editing and proof-reading.

References:

European Commission. "Translator Profile." Web. 28 January 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/workwithus/staff/profile/index_en.htm

Gouadec, Daniel (2002), Profession : Traducteur, Paris: La Maison du Dictionnaire. Trans. (2007), Translation as a Profession, Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.

Translation Bureau (Public Works and Government Services Canada). "Translator." Web. 28 January 2011. http://www.btb.gc.ca/btb.php?lang=eng&cont=818