The purpose of this paper is to distinguish between the different elements which take part in the translation process: the basic mental processes of translation, the translation method, the translation strategy and the translation technique. Therefore, the article discusses all of these elements in detail: the mental processes are compulsory - understanding and reformulating; the method is how the translator approaches the original text, according to certain principles; the strategies are the specific mechanisms used to solve the translation problems; and the technique is the actual solution to those problems, which is visible in the product of the translation.