Le désir de traduire dans la professionnalisation des traducteurs

This article aims to find out how translators become professionals by examining their desire to translate. This desire entails an intimate aspect of the translation act. The article investigates the ideas of a professional vocation, professional socialisation and professional legitimacy. The article is based on the experience of the fourth Traductologie de plein champ exercise (Field-grown translation studies) and aims to account for the way in which those involved, professional or non-professional translators, teachers and members of bodies representing the profession – invoke the ideas of quality and desire in the professional rhetoric which they use. It will be shown how this idea of desire is used as a professional criterion and how this comes into conflict with the professional model sought by the professionals themselves.