What is a "good" translation?

A good translation is a text that renders the original message accurately in spite of lingusitic and cultural barriers. Good translations are produced by specialized professionals who are familiar with the culture of both lanugages and who master the specific language of the subject-matter.

"Over the centuries, it has been taken for granted that translation is just a transfer between two languages. This assumption gave rise to the discussion on the traditional theory "word versus sense" based on the equivalence concept. It may sound obvious to say that translators always interchange something between two languages through linguistic and cultural barriers; the point is that language is seen as the only way of communication. Therefore, the transparency of the translated text is the only one to imagine."

(Milly Golía’s Conference at the II CIATI, Sao Paulo, Brazil – May 2001)