The art and craft of translation

Translating is not just about switching the language (as in Google Translator) – a professional translator adapts the source text to correspond to conventions in the target culture. A translation produced by a specialist in intercultural communication is not a direct rendering of the linguistic structure of the source language but a text in its own right that communicates and is fluent in the target language. To name just a few examples, a translator takes into account international telephone number formats, unit conversions and T–V distinctions depending on the target culture.

Regular collaboration ensures that the translator gains a firm grasp of the culture of the client's business and is able to produce error-free, suitable translations, consulting with the client whenever clarification is needed.

ATA (American Translators Association) Getting it Right – a guide to buying translation
http://www.atanet.org/docs/Getting_it_right.pdf