There is ample evidence that bilinguals, even infant bilinguals, can translate naturally, i.e., without any special training for it. Yet when bilinguals apply for admission to the School of Translators at the University of Ottawa, most of them fail the entrance examination. The reasons are several: (1) Most natural translation is oral, not written. (2) In natural translation, the user is satisfied with any translation which gives the main idea of the message. (3) The original document to be translated must be understood thoroughly and accurately; therefore expert knowledge is needed to translate it according to professional standards. (4) Bilingual interference is a minor problem in natural translation but a serious one in professional translation. In the professional training programs, emphasis is placed on first-language writing skills. (Author/CFM)