How well do you have to know a language to be a translator?

Question

How well do you have to know a language to be a translator?

Answer 1

You have to be FLUENT in BOTH languages.

To be FLUENT means you don't have to mentally translate... you know the words so well you just spit them out without thinking... on hear a word in one language and are immediately able to say the word in the other language without having to THINK the translation

Answer 2

Fluent

Answer 3

Go watch the TV, and translate what the presenter et all is saying, if you can keep up and if your brain translates the words automatically as you hear it you have enough knowledge to be a good translator.but dont quote me on this, confidence is key

Answer 4

they make you take a test to be certified

Answer 5

Basically, very fluent and perfect in both languages. You don't want to make any embarrassing mistakes.

Answer 6

You have to know your own language inside out and also the language you are working from. Otherwise you find that you miss many of the nuances in the original language or render them inexpertly in your own language. Fluent, as somebody suggested, is simply not enough.

Answer 7

you'd have to have a degree and be fluent because you need to be specialised in that language and be a native speaker of the other  

Answer 8

Very.