Basic Requirements for the Translator
A satisfactory knowledge of the source language 1 The first and
most obvious requirement of any translator is that he has a satisfactory knowledge of the source language. …Rather, he must understand not only the obvious content of the message, but also the subtlties of meaning, the significant emotive values of words, and the stylistic features which determine the “flavor and feel” of the message. (from Nida’s “Toward a Science of Translating) (对译者首要和最明显的要求是:他应当具备令人满意的源语/译出语水平。更 确切地讲, 他不仅必须理解文章需要了解的内容,而且要懂得意义的微妙性, 懂得词语的重要情感价值,懂得确定文章“风味和感受”的语体特征.。) The paragraph tells us that translators shoulde be well versed in a foreign language and this requirement is essential for all good translators. If we want to be good translators, we should make every endeavor to improve our English through a variety of mechanisms. To attain the level he mentioned is so hard, but not impossible. An average learner of English can do reading, can communicate at superficial level and can pass many kinds of proficiency tests, but he can never translate well. Only an advanced learner of Englsih, so long as he developes himself high comprehesion ability and equips himself with adequate knowledge/encyclopedic information, he can start to translate. In all, a translator should be of strong comprehensive power and be encyclopedic/erudite enough.