If translations have to be understood as embedded in their specific social context three dimensions have to be taken into account: 1. As cross-national transfers, translations first imply the existence of a field of international relations of exchange. 2. At a more specific level of exchange, one must distinguish between political, economic and cultural dynamics. 3. Finally, the dynamics of translation depends on the structure of the space of reception and on the way in which relevant intermediaries (translators, critics, agents, publishers) shape social demand. Here the analysis focuses on the group of translators, its social profile and the stratification of their craft, as well as on the role of critics and academic specialists, which play a key role in literary translation. [Source: abstract in book]