1. Preliminaries to translation as a process:

2. Translation can be seen as a process and a product. As a process translation means what the translator actually does. To understand the type of work that the translator is involved in, we need at the beginning to explain the following basic terms:

3. Text: Any given stretch of speech or writing assumed to make a coherent whole. A minimal text may consist of a single word, for example, the road sign قف 'Stop'. A maximal text may run into thousands of pages. An example of maximal text would be the many volumes of كتاب تاريخ الرسل و الملوك

4. Source text (ST): The text which requires translation Target Text(TT): The text which is a translation of the ST Source Language (SL): The language in which the ST is spoken or written. Target language (TL): The language into which the ST is to be translated. Strategy: The translator's plan which consists of a number of strategic decisions made after an initial reading of the ST, but before starting detailed translation.

5. Strategic decisions: Before starting detailed translation, the translator takes reasoned decisions with regard to the following questions: 1. What is the message content of this particular ST? 2. What are the salient linguistic features? 3. What are its principle effects? 4. What genres does it belong and what audience is it aimed at? 5. What are the functions and intended audience of my translation? 6. What are the implications of these factors? 7. If a choice has to be made among them, which ones should be given Priority?

6. Decisions of detail: Reasoned decisions which concern the specific problems of grammar and lexis(words),etc. which the translator encounter when translating a particular expression in a particular context. Decisions of details are made in the light of strategy.