Why should translators only translate into their mother tongue?
For a translation to express fully and accurately the original content, it needs someone of the same linguistic and cultural background to be the bridge. They need to be perfectly familiar with both cultures involved, as well as having a knowledge of the subject matter. For example, there are many words for plate in English (dish, platter, plate etc). Would you know how to translate this into French the dictionary may only give you one choice for whichever English choice you happen to look up. Or an online translation engine may give you plat but plat is then translated back as dish.
