In this work, the author aims to shed some light on professional translation in France with respect to the Spanish situation. In the first chapter, the author presents a historical overview of translation theories. In the second chapter, he elaborates upon the theoretical foundations of interpretative translation. The third, fourth and fifth chapters concentrate on the translation market and professional issues. The final chapter investigates translation into Spanish. The work also contains facts and figures on the evolution of the translation market. The author categorizes the translation market into three sectors: cultural, institutional and commercial translation.