Translation does not occur in a vacuum. There is always a reason why translation should take place, and the reasons for translation are often independent of the reasons for the creation of an original. Unlike the source-text author, who is usually self-motivated, the translator is stimulated to begin translating by someone else, i.e. the initiator, who gives the translator a set of instructions in the form of the translation brief because he requires the translation to fulfil a certain function in the target culture. This fact is illustrated in this article by means of a historical text, written in Afrikaans. What makes this translation especially interesting is the sensitive nature of the source text and the unusual brief given to the translator. The paper aims to evaluate the target text in terms of certain stylistic criteria in order to establish whether the brief has been fulfilled.