Book excerpt: This textbook is a practical and interactive reader designed to give anyone interested in language and communication a rigorous yet accessible head-start to the emerging field of translation. Organised along neat paradigms and models, the book features fresh applications of a wide range of theories, drawing on authentic examples from a multitude of languages. With its strong emphasis on how translation operates in real-world situations, the book is a useful reference not only for students, instructors, and practitioners of translation, but also for the general reader who is curious about the intricacies of communicating across languages and cultures.