The difficulties in providing an optimal definition of the concept of translation can not only be traced back to the complex factors involved in the transfer from one language into another, thus preventing the development of uniform solutions, but they are also connected to the various views on the social phenomenon that translation is, i.e. the different expectations with regard to what a translation 'does', 'should do' or 'could do'. The present article attempts to provide a clear definition of the concept translation by providing a logical structure of the functions attributed to translations and the way these can be achieved.