11. Professional translators work into their native language

There are many translators who, rightly, claim fluency and expertise in multiple language combinations. They can translate from English into Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, for example. Some claim they can translate in both directions: into and back from a given language.

As a rule, even if a translator is fluent in more than one language, the best work is produced by translators working into their native language only.

The rule is simple. Think of it as a single-lane, one-way street. To achieve the best results, get experts in a single-language, one-way translation. If you want your work translated into German, use a native German-speaking translator -- not one who knows German well or can translate from German back into another language. If you want it in Japanese, use a native Japanese-speaking translator. For English, use a native-level English speaker. And so on.

There are exceptions to this rule, but not many. Few individuals are truly talented or experienced enough to work with native-level fluency and expertise in more than one language combination. Among translators with knowledge of multiple languages, there is almost always one combination they are best at, and that is usually into their native tongue.